How move to SHA has divided teachers

Primary school head teachers were on Tuesday divided over a deal to move them from Home-Minet Insurance health cover to the state-run Social Health Authority (SHA).

Critics of the deal said that SHA does not have benefits of covering critical illnesses like cancer, like the privately owned Home-Minet Insurance.

Yesterday, we established that Kenya National Union of Teachers KNUT executive were held up in a day long meeting in Mombasa amid mounting opposition to SHA.

"They fear the wrath of members as the initial agreement was that we will continue to Home-Minet because of its superior services," said a teacher privy to the meeting.

Mr Emanuel Owili from Migori accused the government of pushing Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT)to sign an agreement before proper consultation with teachers.

“The teachers are opposed to this move because SHA has a history of frustrating patients registered in it, and that is why the teachers at the grass roots are not happy,” said Owili.

He regretted that despite having met the president at the state house recently, where they agreed to consult before any move, nobody bothered to come back to them.

Owili said teachers were wary about SHA because it has not been paying hospital bills of those suffering diseases such as cancer.

The teacher spoke in Mombasa during the annual general meeting of Kenya Comprehensive School Headteachers Association (KECSHA) members.

“We know several teachers who joined SHA, but when they were admitted, SHA only paid the bill for the bed but not the medicine,” said Owili.

He also pointed out that most teachers were not well conversant with operations of SHA, the way they know Home-Minet insurance.

Owili warned the union officials against being compromised to join SHA, which will leave many teachers in danger in case they fall sick.

“I am suggesting the transition should be given more time before everybody is put on board if the state has decided that every civil servant must join it,” said Owili.

However, some KNUT branch officials who spoke to The Standard on condition they not be mentioned said they opposed the move to force teachers to join SHA.

“We have not consulted the teachers on the ground, and that is why we are not supporting the move to join SHA,” said a union official.

The official said they are waiting for KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu to come and brief them today at the conference where he is going to be one of the speakers.

“Top KNUT Executive Council officials are meeting in a town in Mombasa here. We are waiting for them to come and give direction,” said an official.

Kilifi teacher Denis Charo said he was not aware the teachers had been moved to SHA and wondered if it will render services, which is being done by minet.

“I personally like Minet Insurance because when I was admitted, it paid all my hospital bills after I produced my TSC number,” said Charo.

Charo insisted it was premature to move the teachers to SHA without proper consultation because there will be confusion, as most teachers take a long time to have knowledge on how the service is being offered.

However, Charo said he will support the move if the teachers who have joined it are adequately educated to understand how to get assistance when one has fallen sick.

He said teachers must be properly educated on how the service works because most of them are working in far-flung areas where getting proper information about its service takes a lot of time.

Julius Gitonga from Meru said Minet Insurance was better than SHA because it was offering better service compared to SHA.

“We do not like SHA because of its history, which has been there since it started. There are many complaints about its services, so we are not ready to join what will frustrate teachers when they are sick,” said Gitonga.

However, some teachers who are from urban areas supported the move, saying that more teachers will benefit from SHA services if teachers are properly educated.

SHA was established in 2024 to replace the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). It has been having many challenges, including system failure, causing pain to many patients who are turned away from hospital without treatment.

The promise it will give quality health service has been elusive, as it has been facing financial instability. Some hospitals have been chasing away patients who need medical attention, which has tarnished the noble service the government wants to give Kenyans.

Teachers are sceptical they will fall victim to the same problems Kenyans have been facing, and that is why they want to continue with Minet insurance.