Teachers are set to benefit from a Sh5.4 billion comprehensive medical scheme starting July 1, if a deal between the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Teachers Service Commission becomes a reality.

Plans to implement this medical cover were thwarted last year after Knut excluded the teachers

employer while negotiating the cover.

However, if all goes to plan the more than 280,000 teachers will have the benefit of choosing a medical facility based on their limits for proper medical care.

In the deal, TSC will remit some Sh453 million, the amount of money it pays the teachers as monthly medical allowance, towards the cover.

The allowance is currently pegged on teachers’ job groups, but this may change if the Government fully implements the Legal Notice No. 534 of 1997 which proposes that 20 per cent of the basic pay be paid towards medical allowance. TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni said a technical team from the commission and the National Hospital Insurance Fund are working on means and ways that would see all teachers get medical cover.

“Plans are at an advanced stage and if it goes to plan we may reach an understanding next week,” he said.

The team had their meeting on Tuesday and another meeting is scheduled for next week.

Lengoiboni said the team is considering options to see teachers get the best medical cover.

“We have the option that will see all teachers surrender their medical allowance towards the scheme, but we also have another option that proposes three quarters or the entire medical allowances remitted to NHIF,” he said.

He said either of the options will be adopted as long as it will be agreed that it will be in the best interest of teachers to get the a comprehensive medical cover.

Knut chairman Wilson Sossion said the union has already expressed willingness to allow only half of the medical allowance be deducted towards the scheme.