Nurse seeks Edu Afya plan review
The controversial Edu Afya programme should be reviewed to have students who are not in the NEMIS database benefit and have the role of school principals included in ensuring effective utilization of the fund.
In a petition by Joyce Cherono, a nurse at Kenyatta Hospital, the medical scheme, which was designed to provide necessary outpatient medical care in the country including; road and air evacuation, dental, optical, group personal accident, and group life coverage for students, is not being effectively utilized.
The scheme offers comprehensive medical insurance cover to students in public secondary schools registered under the National Education Management System (NEMIS).
Health facilities with existing NHIF contracts are eligible to provide services to students. This includes accredited mission/faith-based health facilities and private hospitals with the exception of high-cost private facilities.
Cherono told the National Assembly Public Petitions Committee yesterday that, since its inception, more than 800,000 students have not received any benefits from the Sh4 billion medical insurance coverage.
The petitioner appealed to the Committee which is chaired by Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai to see the Edu Afya programme through as it would really benefit students across the country.
Cherono attributed the shortcomings facing the Edu Afya programme to several factors including; a lack of public awareness on the scheme, health providers’ lack of confidence in it, difficulties in obtaining National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) for students, and a failure to engage relevant stakeholders in the implementation process.
