The government, through the State Department for Public Service, has announced plans to establish a new fund, aimed at enhancing healthcare coverage for civil servants and other public officers. This initiative, comes as part of ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of government employees and streamline the provision of medical benefits.
The proposed new fund dubbed ‘the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund’ is designed to work in conjunction with the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) provided under the Social Health Insurance Act. It will be financed through the recovery of medical benefits from public officers’ contractual remunerations, ensuring a sustainable funding model.
The fund also aims to provide complementary coverage, offering additional medical benefits for public officers that go beyond the social health insurance package. Under this new system, members or qualifying dependents will need to exhaust the limits provided under the social health insurance benefit before accessing the Public Officers Medical Scheme, ensuring efficient use of resources.
The scope of this scheme is comprehensive, including not only civil servants but also any other participating groups of public officers, thus broadening its impact across the public sector.
After an inter-agency team, comprising representatives from various government offices including the Executive Office of the President, Office of Chief of Staff, Ministry of Health, National Treasury, Office of the Attorney General, and Civil Service Unions, finalized drafting the Public Finance Management (Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund) Regulations, 2024, the legislation has now entered a process of public consultation, seeking input from stakeholders and the general public.
