Atwoli want graft tamed at NHIF

Kisumu, Tuesday, May 23, 2023

KNA by Edwin Odhiambo/Rodgers Odondi

Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli wants a decisive action taken against corrupt officials at the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Atwoli expressed fears that graft was to blame for the inefficiencies at the fund, reversing gains made to scale up Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the country.Speaking during a consultative meeting with NHIF at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu Atwoli asked the board and management of the national insurer to streamline operations to safeguard employee contributions.

The purge, he said, must be extended to the over 8,000 health facilities accredited by NHIF to ensure that only those meeting the required threshold are allowed to operate.

“We continue to witness mushrooming clinics in containers claiming to be accredited by NHIF. We want a system where beneficiaries are treated with dignity and access quality services,” he said.He rooted for investment in preventive medical care and proper diagnosis to enhance access to quality medical care in the country.

UHC, he said, was a constitutional requirement calling on NHIF to work with other stakeholders to ensure that every Kenyan has access to quality healthcare.The country, he said continues to suffer from attrition of medical doctors and health professionals calling for candid discussion between the national and county government to work out modalities of retaining the workforce.

“We must pay our doctors well to retain them even if it means taking them back to the national government,” he said.

“County governments must respect our doctors. To train a doctor is not easy, it is very expensive. We need to have a meeting with the Head of State so that doctors are taken back by the national government. We don't need them to be kicked left or right," he added.

Speaking during the same occasion, NHIF Board Chairman Michael Kamau said measures have been put in place to strengthen the management of the fund to accelerate UHC.

“This is a matter that is close to the heart of the president. Remember UHC has failed twice but we have made a total commitment to deliver it,” he said.

The move, he said, called for commitment from the employers on remittance of statutory deductions decrying a drop in the number of registered members in the formal sector.

“Currently we have 16 million members and about 30 million dependents. However, in the formal sector, there has been a drop of about 1.2 million registered members from 4.9 million to 3.7,” he said.

Employer compliance, he said, remained a big challenge with some employers failing to remit deductions from their workers.

NHIF, he disclosed, was in the process of developing a comprehensive digital platform to enhance service delivery.He noted that the platform would provide an easy and efficient way for Kenyans to register, access, and pay for healthcare services.

This, he noted, was one of the measures taken by the board to promote transparency and accountability in service delivery.

Courtesy; K.N.A