Suspended students’ health coverage are voiced by parents
Concerns about the uncertainty that still affects over 3.4 million students in public secondary schools have been voiced by parents.
The abrupt end of the Sh4.5 billion EduAfya insurance policy has put pupils at risk for the past six months, according to National Parents Association head Silas Obuhatsa.
According to Obuhatsa, all public secondary school pupils have had government-funded health insurance for the past four years.
The lives of millions of our children are in the hands of parents and school administrators. Without even considering the risks they are putting our children in, the government chose to reduce the insurance coverage, according to Obuhatsa.
He now demands that the government find a substitute for learner’s health insurance as soon as possible.
It is important to remember the noble concept of a communal pool. In the event of an outbreak, it becomes difficult for schools with large student populations. Parents are suffering a lot right now, according to Obuhatsa.
The program ran from 2019 to 2023, and the government invested Sh9.5 billion in it.
Out of the 2.7 million students insured by the medical plan, 606,893 pupils sought medical attention in 2019, according to the most recent statistics.
The medical and property insurance vote head previously covered emergency injuries, accidents, last respect, emergency drugs, first aid kits, and medical cover for students, in accordance with the Ministry of school’s requirements for implementing free day secondary school.
However, as a result of the Universal Health Insurance Act 2023, which went into force last year, the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) terminated its four-year contract with the Ministry of Education in December of last year.
Parents and educators are concerned about the decision’s possible effects on the wellbeing of their children.
Parents must now pay for their own health care and insurance in order to guarantee that their children receive medical attention when ill, according to Agnes Ndunge, a parent at Mbooni Girls School.
The vote head for funding nurses, medications, and first aid supplies in schools has been replaced. When students become ill, we have to call in the parents,” she stated.
She also said that parents must become involved when their children are sick because schools are no longer able to pay for nurses, medication, and first aid kits.
“As parents, the EduAfya program was a relief, but the government’s decision to end it without providing an alternative is like abandoning us to navigate a deep sea on our own,” Ndunge stated.
Mary Muthoni, a different mom, spoke about the financial strain, pointing out that daycare centers paid between Sh40,000 and Sh53,000.
Muthoni worries that schools may soon raise tuition to pay for medical expenses and wonders how they will pay for the additional expenses.
“The only things the parents had to pay for were their children’s school clothes, meal expenses, and levies associated with boarding. “How can educational institutions manage additional expenses without hiking fees to cover the costs?” said Muthoni.
William Kuria, the chairman of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha), urged the government to assure the program’s continuation and opposed the decision to end it.
“It would be inappropriate to dismiss the EduAfya program in that manner. Kuria stated, “We need to take a close look at it and make sure that the gains made with NHIF are not lost.
Kuria made note of the dangers to pupils and the difficulties school administrators encounter when pupils become unwell, particularly those who have long-term conditions and require medical attention.
Educators have a significant difficulty when pupils drop out of school. There are people here that require medical coverage due to chronic illnesses. For most parents, dealing with certain illnesses—such as paying school nurses or sending their kids to the hospital—is an added expense. Kuria said as much.
According to Susan Nakumicha, cabinet secretary for health, the program will be moved to the Primary Healthcare Fund, which will cover students and their families.
We plan to expand the scope of the new system so that all students will be covered by their households. Covering a student but not the rest of their household is illogical, the speaker stated.
For medical and insurance purposes, the government provides Sh1,999 per child per year under the Free Day Secondary Education program.
Suspended students’ health coverage are voiced by parents