Written by Isura Christopher 2012-05-08 13:43:00 Read 476 Times

The government has suspended the implementation of new NHIF rates forth three months, as COTU puts on hold its planned strike over the controversial National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) over corruption allegations.

Speaking after a meeting with labour minister John Munyes, COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli said that they had decided to suspend the strike to give the government time to put its house in order.

Chief executives of Clinix, one of the medical institutions awarded hefty payments by NHIF failed to appear before a Parliamentary Committee probe team this morning Tuesday asking for more time to prepare.

NHIF has been having boardroom wars after it was revealed that billions of shillings had been paid out to non-existent clinics.

 In the suspended scheme, workers were to pay higher monthly contributions for an expanded service which includes outpatient cover and chronic ailments.

 KEPSA is the latest unit to have added its voice to the unfolding saga, calling for the immediate resignation of Medical services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o.

 This development comes a day after Prime Minister Raila Odinga suspended the entire board for three months and called upon the government’s Efficiency Monitoring Unit to conduct a probe into the controversial payments.

 The strike that was scheduled to start on Monday, May 14, to protest over the new scheme has been called off.

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