Deputy President William Ruto has added his voice to calls by Kenyans to have the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover Covid-19.
This comes days after Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and NHIF CEO Peter Kamunyo said it is not financially viable to cover the bills for COVID-19 which are expensive.
“The cost burden of financing Covid-19 testing and treatment for NHIF beneficiaries both in the National Scheme and the Enhanced Medical Schemes would not be financially viable since it was not envisaged in the current NHIF premiums computation and the existing benefits package,” CS Kagwe explained to the Senate last Wednesday.
But in a tweet on Tuesday, the second in command lauded the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for ensuring that teachers who contract Covid-19 are allowed to use their medical insurance cover to offset their bills.
The DP urged NHIF to follow suit and help many Kenyans who can not foot the expensive Covid-19 hospital bills.
Read: CS Kagwe Explains Why NHIF Is Not Covering Covid-19 Treatment
This, he said, is possible if the government is able to mobilize available resources for the noble course.
“We commend TSC for including COVID 19 insurance cover for its members. NHIF should emulate TSC by extending a similar cover to its members, especially students who are set to resume school. All available resources should be mobilized to enable NHIF to meet this obligation, ” the DP tweeted.
We commend TSC for including COVID 19 insurance cover for its members. NHIF should emulate TSC by extending a similar cover to its members, especially students who are set to resume school. All available resources should be mobilized to enable NHIF to meet this obligation. pic.twitter.com/3ctHYOV4B7
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) November 17, 2020
TSC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nancy Macharia yesterday told teachers that a Covid-19 incidence reporting tool using USSD code *202*07# has been set up to assist them report to the scheme provider any suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases, to enable them receive care and support faster.
Read Also: Sauti Sol’s Bien Complains Of Expensive Covid-19 Treatment As He Contracts Virus
“Cognisant of the important role teachers are playing as we grapple with this pandemic, I wish to announce that TSC has negotiated with teachers medical provider, for teachers to be covered for all Covid-19 related illnesses,” said Macharia, who spoke at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
Since Kagwe’s declaration last week the government has been criticized for neglecting the common mwananchi while rooting for constitutional amendments through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) expected to cost the taxpayers billions.
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