Teachers have been urged to embrace the new Social Health Authority (SHA) medical cover that replaces the MINET scheme, with education stakeholders assuring them of improved benefits and continuity of services.
Speaking during the official opening of KEPSHA conference at Sheikh Zayed Children’s Home, Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Evelyn Mitei said the transition marks a new phase in providing teachers with a comprehensive and efficient medical scheme.
She noted that the Commission has engaged all key stakeholders, including teacher unions and associations, to ensure a smooth shift to the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund (POMSF).
“We have all the information on the comprehensive medical scheme prepared for teachers. This journey started in 2015 with MINET, and now we are moving forward to the POMSF, which offers broader and improved services,” she said, urging teachers to seek information and understand the new system.
SHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Mercy Mwangangi said the new cover will offer faster, digital-based medical services and wider access to healthcare facilities.
She noted that the system has a pre-authorisation time of less than five minutes and a network of over 10,000 hospitals across the country, including public, private, and faith-based institutions.
“The new platform is designed to make healthcare access seamless for members. Teachers will benefit from a stronger network of hospitals and comprehensive management of medical conditions,” said Dr Mwangangi.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Collins Oyuu welcomed the new scheme, saying teachers had not lost their comprehensive cover but were now under the POMSF managed by SHA.
He called for awareness among school heads and teachers to understand the benefits and structure of the fund.
“We must have our teachers, especially heads of institutions, be well informed about what the new medical scheme entails,” he said, emphasising the need for union and TSC leaders to sensitise members on the transition.
POMSF, established under the 2024 Public Finance Management Regulations, provides supplementary medical cover for public officers, including civil servants and teachers.
Managed by SHA, the fund complements the standard SHA benefits and is financed through allocations by the National Assembly and contributions from members’ medical benefits.
The scheme covers officers, their spouses, and dependants, offering inpatient, outpatient, specialised, dental, optical, and emergency evacuation services.
By Sitati Reagan and Hassan Bahati
