Gachagua Tells Teachers to Reject SHA Hospital Restrictions Amid Mounting Complaints
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua really laid into the Social Health Authority (SHA) at a church service in Mombasa , calling on teachers to push back against what he sees as outrageous restrictions on where they can even get medical treatment.
He was speaking at a church service in Mombasa and he basically accused the government of being completely out of touch with the reality on the ground with regards to the health scheme. “They’re painting this rosy picture,” he said ” but I can see it from up close and it’s just not true”
Teachers ‘Under Pressure’ as Costs Rise
Gachagua was speaking at the Prophetic Embassy Church of All Nations in Bamburi to a bunch of congregants and he said that teachers are among the worst hit by the system’s failures.
He reckons that a lot of educators are being forced to dig into their own pockets to pay for outpatient services, even though the scheme was supposed to make that a lot easier for them.
“Teachers are at their wit’s end, being forced to add to their own costs just to get outpatient treatment, and on top of that they’re being told to get treatment at county government hospitals,” he said
Gachagua went on to say that these county government hospitals are basically struggling to keep their heads above water – understaffed, under-supplied and financially desperate.
“County government hospitals have got no medicine, no bandages, not even gloves to go around. And what’s even crazier is they’re being owed a whopping Sh8 billion by SHA.”
‘Let Teachers Choose Their Hospitals’
Gachagua’s main point was a pretty simple one : he wants teachers to stand up for themselves and not be dictated to when it comes to where they get treatment.
“I want to tell teachers, just say no to being told which hospital to go to – it’s got to be the other way round,” he said. “They should pick the hospital they want to go to – it’s just basic dignity and it’ll get them a better quality service”
Call for Industrial Action
It looks like he’s getting a bit fed up with the way things are going and is urging teachers to really start pushing their leaders to take some drastic action if their problems aren’t sorted out.
‘”Teachers need to wake up and start demanding from their bosses the option to leave SHA and go back to a health insurance scheme that actually works and gives them some real value for their money”, he pointed out.
His comments hint at growing discontent from the public about how the scheme is being rolled out.
Warning of Possible Collapse
Gachagua also threw a warning to private healthcare operators telling them to tread very carefully in their dealings with SHA.
“SHA will be a disaster waiting to happen because, mark my words, it will end up being a massive corporate write-off in Kenyan history , Im telling you , we are warning these hospital owners to be very careful so when the scheme does go down it doesnt drag them down as well”
Mounting Concerns from Unions
There’s a growing sense of urgency coming from teachers’ unions like the KNUT and the KUPPET, who’ve been hammering away at the government for months about the delays in getting treatment, the technical problems with the system and the fact that teachers still have to shell out for medical bills – all of which seems to contradict the government’s promises of comprehensive cover.
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Gachagua Tells Teachers to Reject SHA Hospital Restrictions Amid Mounting Complaints
