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The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has threatened to withdraw from the Social Health Authority (SHA) medical scheme, claiming the cover is failing to adequately serve teachers.
Union officials say the scheme has been plagued by frequent system failures, a shortage of hospitals accepting the cover, and what they describe as insufficient funding allocations, particularly for accident and emergency care.
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According to KUPPET, some teachers have been turned away when seeking treatment, while others have allegedly been held in hospitals due to unpaid medical bills.
The union has now issued a seven-day strike notice, urging their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), to intervene and address the situation.
One case cited involves a teacher injured in an accident outside City Primary School in Ngara, Nairobi, in January this year. The teacher remains stranded at Aga Khan Hospital even after being discharged due to an outstanding medical bill.
After undergoing three surgeries, the patient accumulated a hospital bill of about Sh3.9 million. The family was informed that the Social Health Authority would only cover Sh1 million, forcing relatives and the union to organise fundraising efforts to raise the remaining amount.
KUPPET leaders also claim that some hospitals have begun refusing to admit teachers, citing delays or uncertainty in payments from the scheme. They say the problem is affecting teachers in several regions, including Bungoma, the Coast, and Western Kenya.
Union officials further argue that the limited number of hospitals accepting the cover has made it difficult for teachers, particularly those in remote areas, to access healthcare services.
KUPPET is now demanding urgent intervention from the Social Health Authority, warning that failure to resolve the issues could lead the union to mobilise teachers to withdraw from the scheme altogether.
However, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has dismissed claims of a widespread crisis. In a statement, he said more than 249,000 teachers and their dependents have already received medical services through SHA, amounting to about Sh3.5 billion in claims.
Duale acknowledged that there may be minor initial challenges but said the government is working to address them to ensure smooth and uninterrupted healthcare services.
