KAMPALA — The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has announced that Members admitted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to Coronavirus related complications can access their savings.
Replying to one of the clients who had raised dust over the funds’ unwillingness to bailout members, NSSF said that rules allow members admitted in ICU to get access to their savings for medical reasons.
“Kindly note that If our member is in ICU and medical documents are submitted, the Fund doctor handles the assessment and advises accordingly in-line with the invalidity benefit,” the NSSF said on Thursday June 17, adding that: We therefore request that they reach out to enable us serve them better”.
Parliament recently passed the National Social Security Fund- NSSF Bill 2019, giving Ugandans aged over 45 years and those who have saved for 10 years to access 20 per cent of their savings but didn’t cater for emergencies.
This was after a concerned citizen, Mr Morrison Rwakakamba dragged the NSSF and the Attorney General to the Constitutional Court, seeking court to compel the Fund to pay members 20 per cent of their savings during the lockdown.
NSSF was asked to pay to those members who are in need and not to all.
With the pandemic in the second wave, several hospitals revealed that they are charging between UGX. 2m and UGX. 5m per day to treat a critically ill patient.
The patient spends 14 to 31 days in hospital depending on the severity of the disease, according to medical experts.
This means a critically ill patient spends between Shs62m and Shs155m.
These charges are largely unbearable to many Ugandans, given the per capita income of $777 (Shs2.7m).
