By John Majau
Teachers in Meru County have accused an insurance provider of deliberately failing to remit their medical insurance cover to the prescribed hospitals and called on the national government to immediately terminate the contract.
They also want the government to compel the insurance broker to refund all the money he has been deducting from the teachers since November last year when it stopped paying the required amount of medical cover to hospitals forcing the later to deny teachers in the area medical services.
The Meru County KUPPET Executive Secretary Karuti Nchebere said following the breach of the contract several teachers in the area can no longer access medical services in most hospitals after their insurance provider allegedly failed to remit the funds to the institution.
Speaking in Mikinduri market in Tigania East constituency of the Meru County during an education forum, Karuti said that the unpaid arrears dates back to the year 2017 forcing the affected hospitals to stop treating the teachers unless they pay in cash.
“There is no way we will continue paying for the medical insurance cover and fail to get medication when you visit the hospital for treatment yet you are insured. Since November last year hospitals are not providing health services to the teachers despite having paid their medical allowances to the insurance broker. We are hit hard by the incident”, he said.
Nchebere said it is impossible to expect any hospital to borrow loans from financial institutions in order to enable them treat teachers who have already paid medical allowances to an insurance broker.
He said most of the teachers are up in arms against the company with majority of them demanding for the immediate termination of the contract in order to pave way for another provider who is more competent and trustworthy.
The KUPPET official said medical services have grounded to a halt because of the unpaid arrears which date back to 2017 after the insurance provider failed to remit the funds to the health centres.
“Chogoria Mission,Maua Methodist,Nkubu Consolata Mission , St John Tigania and Kirua St Theresa’s hospitals are the hardest hit. He should refund our money because he did not deliver as per our expectations,” said Nchebere .
