City MCAs reject bid to renew annual Sh1bn medical cover
MCA Patricia Mutheu makes her contribution on the floor of the House on Wednesday. A section have opposed the renewal of Sh1bn medical cover for City Hall staff. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The ward reps have faulted the executive for contracting AAR Kenya to provide health insurance cover to over 12, 000 City Hall staff.
- The MCA said most health facilities lack medicine and essential equipment.
A section of Nairobi ward representatives has opposed City Hall’s bid to renew a multi-million medical insurance cover by AAR Kenya for its staff.
Mlango Kubwa Ward Representative Patricia Mutheu on Wednesday moved a motion at the Assembly to prompt Governor Mike Sonko to reconsider the deal.
Led by Ms Mutheu, the MCAs said the Sh1billion paid to AAR Kenya annually should instead be used to improve health facilities in the county.
“We want the money we are paying to AAR to be used to equip county health facilities. Why are we spending such colossal amounts of money on medical cover yet our county’s health facilities have no medicine?” posed Ms Mutheu.
INSURANCE
The ward reps have faulted the executive for contracting AAR Kenya to provide health insurance cover to over 12, 000 City Hall staff. She said most health facilities lack medicine and essential equipment.
She asked: “How can you put someone else’s house in order while yours is not? This is an injustice to Nairobi residents. How many health facilities are well equipped, how many have enough medicine and nurses?
“I look forward to when I will walk into Mama Lucy Hospital and get quality health care. If Makueni County managed to put up a Level 4 hospital with just Sh160 million, what can we do with the billions we are paying for the medical cover?” she added.
SH1.3 BILLION
Ms Mutheu wants the executive to engage National Hospital Insurance Fund in creating a revamped medical cover for county employees.
AAR contract has come under scrutiny ever since the firm entered into a deal with former governor Evans Kidero's administration in the financial year 2015/16.
The firm was paid between Sh1.06 and Sh1.3 billion annually.
