Strike looms as civil servants issue 30-day notice over unpaid medical bills

Civil servants have given the government a 30-day ultimatum, warning of a nationwide strike over unpaid medical bills deducted from their salaries.

The Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) announced that if the issue is not resolved, workers will begin protests on March 18.

During a press conference on Tuesday, the union alongside the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), criticized the government for failing to settle hospital bills under the Public Officers Medical Fund (POMF).

This has left many public workers unable to access treatment despite monthly deductions from their salaries.

"The comprehensive medical cover was established in 2012 when civil servants forfeited their medical allowance for an insurance scheme," said KMPDU Secretary-General Davji Atellah.

"Public servants are back to fundraising for medical needs despite being deducted twice—2.75 per cent to SHIF and forfeiture of medical allowance to POMF," he added.

Hospitals across the country have reportedly stopped offering services under POMF due to unpaid claims.

The scheme, managed by the Social Health Authority (SHA), replaced the previous fee-for-service model after the SHA Act was enacted in 2023.

UKCS Secretary-General Tom Odege warned that if the government does not act, civil servants at both the national and county levels will join the demonstrations.

"We are giving the government two weeks to resolve this issue once and for all. Failure to do so, we will call on all civil servants in both national and county governments to join demonstrations starting on March 18. The union also cautioned that a complete shutdown could follow within 30 days," he said.

The looming strike comes as the government grapples with financial constraints under the new health system.

The Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in October last year, has been struggling due to low contributions.

While addressing the media at Afya House last month, Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa and Director General of Health Dr Patrick Amoth acknowledged that only 3.3 million out of 19 million registered Kenyans are contributing to SHIF.

"Health services are expensive, and we cannot only have those in formal employment bearing the burden of the rest of the Kenyan population," said Dr Amoth, urging more Kenyans to start contributing to sustain the system.

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