In a move aimed at opening up county hospitals for the provision of medical services to teachers, Minet Kenya has enlisted Nyeri County Referral hospital, Karatina General hospital and Mt. Kenya hospital as the first government hospitals under the scheme within Nyeri County. The three facilities will be offering outpatient, inpatient, specialized and dental services on direct access.
Since inception, the panel of medical facilities for the teachers’ medical scheme has predominantly been private and faith-based hospitals. Speaking during the official commissioning of the medical facilities at the Nyeri County government grounds, Mr. Sammy Muthui, chief executive officer, Minet Kenya, acknowledged that health care providers play a critical role in the wellbeing of the Kenyans. “The current healthcare infrastructure in the country has necessitated a need to broaden the panel of service providers for easy accessibility of the facilities as well as access to specialized care,” Mr. Muthui said, adding that, “Public hospitals play an important role in rural areas, forming a massive system of care available to the populace outside major towns hence the need to bring on board more public hospitals.” Minet Kenya is planning to partner with other county governments in order to provide specialized services to the teachers under its medical scheme.
Nyeri Govenor, Mutahi Kahiga on his part lauded the efforts made by Minet and called for public private partnerships within the healthcare ecosystem. He added that his government was committed to fulfilling the constitutional provision that guarantees citizens the right of access to the highest attainable standard of health. “To support the journey that we have started today, the County Government of Nyeri commits to continually strengthen the existing health infrastructure through expansion of wards, oxygen piping, installation of an oxygen plant ;posting of additional health care workers in the right skill-mix and procurement of sufficient medical equipment and supplies,” Governor Kahiga said.
The Teachers’ medical scheme covers over 1,036,000 lives which include 332,000 registered teachers and their dependants countrywide.
