Despite a controversial health insurance scheme that has locked out the majority poor from quality healthcare, Kenyans are doing better than most developed countries in terms of answering the call of duty when sick.
A new survey indicates that the breadwinner in a Kenyan household misses five to six days due to illness.
Comparing the trend to the US, Europe and Japan, the Health Care Monitor by Synovate research firm suggests that the days that Kenyans are on sick leave are fewer than in Europe even in the face of hard economic times.
Europeans are missing nine or ten days of work, although the continent is one of the biggest economic giants in the planet and has one of the best health insurance schemes.
However, Kenya’s performance pales when gauged with the US and Japan where only about five and four working days are missed due to illness respectively.
Lead researcher of the survey Joel Lehman however said Kenya is far worse in terms of health insurance delivery compared to Rwanda and Ghana, although the latter’s National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is one of the best subsidized institutions in East Africa.
“The policies for a successful health insurance scheme are still far from right to match standards of developed countries where civilians have free health programmes,” said Lehman.
Released in Nairobi, Thursday this week, the survey indicates that most Kenyans, would prefer free health insurance rather than receiving a cash subsidy of Ksh. 500.
In the proposed health insurance scheme, self employed Kenyans are expected to pay Ksh. 500 to receive NHIF coverage. According to the self funded Synovate survey, 19 per cent of Kenyans would prefer the Ksh. 500 payment while 77 per cent would go for free health insurance.
However, four per cent of Kenyans said they “don’t know” what they would prefer or refused to answer.
Majority of those who would prefer cash were from Coast region, while those who would prefer free health care were from Central region, says the survey.
Interestingly, most Kenyans are not keen on embracing technology to reduce the cost and time spent in visiting a health facility. According to the survey, only 31 per cent of Kenyans with less expensive insurance would be willing to call a doctor through a mobile phone to seek details of treatment while 69 per cent find this technology ‘unacceptable’.
However, middle aged Kenyans of between 25 to 44 years of age, and who constitute the most productive pool in the country value health insurance, says the survey.
About 2,000 respondents were sampled from all parts of Kenya.
