Over 1,700 employees of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) are left in uncertainty after the Social Health Authority (SHA) announced plans to advertise job openings within three weeks.
This announcement came just a day after NHIF completely shut down and transferred all its functions to the new health scheme, SHA, on Friday, November 22. As a result, former NHIF employees are now facing uncertainty about their job status.
These employees had been promised a smooth transition to SHA, with assurances that their jobs would not be affected.
A day after the transition finishing date expired, employees are still uncertain about their future. The finishing date officially ended on Friday, November 22, and the employees have been returned to the Public Service Commission. They are now awaiting either absorption into SHA, redeployment to other government entities, or the option of early retirement.
In an anonymous interview with Citizen TV, an employee revealed that a majority of NHIF employees are currently experiencing anxiety, fear, and uncertainty due to the situation.
SHA had initially promised to integrate them into the new structure, but recent developments indicate that the new Health Authority will only retain a limited number of employees and has imposed stringent conditions for their selection.
"As NHIF staff, we have a lot of anxiety, we have a lot of fear of the staff transition. We are lost because the board has failed to follow the Act. We are requesting for the board to be dissolved," the employee revealed.
In an internal memo dated November 19, 2024, acting CEO Robert Ingasira notified NHIF employees that they would receive individual communications regarding the transition starting Friday. Employees were also instructed to bring their IDs and job cards for further information.
"All staff to avail themselves to their workplaces with their ID and job cards to receive further communication from the public service commission," Ingasira said.
Four hundred employees were promised that they would be integrated into SHA, which has not yet occurred. In an advisory to SHA, the PSC indicated that the engagement of permanent, pensionable, and contract staff will conclude by law at the close of business on November 21.
These staff members were to be temporarily deployed to SHA for a period of six months. The staff on permanent and contract terms shall have a chance to be absolved into SHA.
However, the employees on contract would have their engagement terminated if they failed to get jobs in the new authority.
A section of the employees have chosen early retirement voluntarily and are now demanding that the Authority computes and pay them their exit package.
