Dingswayo
JF-Expert Member
- May 26, 2009
- 4,019
- 2,923
Hospitalised patients in various city hospitals are worried of their fate following new medical charges introduced by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and applied so far by key hospitals like Mwananyamala and the Muhimbili National Hospital.
A long week survey carried out by The Guardian on Sunday reporters showed that not all hospitals in the city have adopted new charges, and those applying new charges differ in specific charges, while others are waiting for board directives to alter the charges they make on patients.
New charges introduced following the ministry's order directed public hospitals to submit half of their monthly revenue to the Medical Store Department (MSD) until the outstanding Sh90bn owed to it is paid off. Some hospitals however affirmed that they have no debts with MSD.
The ministerial order comes after hospitals across the country reported a dire shortage of essential medicines associated with MSD's reluctance to serve indebted facilities.
New medical charges introduced in order to compensate MSD debt, the decision that has been criticized by many city residents who said was not supposed to be paid by patients.
A survey by The Guardian on Sunday has revealed that patients are now worried of being abandoned by their relatives at hospitals due to the rising cost of hospitalisation.
Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) information Officer, Doris Ishinda said that charges for admission of patients have increased to 7, 000 per night, while earlier patients were required to pay Sh20,000 for the all time they were admitted at the hospital.
"Now the situation has changed. A patient has to pay Sh7,000 per day," she stated, noting that Sh5000 is paid for the bed cost and Sh2, 000 for food.
However when interviewed, some patients at the MNH said the hiked costs were worrying them because some had no financial muscle to pay.
"This is becoming difficult because we feel our relatives might abandon us if they fail to pay the charges," said Beatrice Rwegasira.
She said there were some patients who are admitted for more than a month and if they have to pay Sh7,000 per day that means one has to pay more than Sh200,000 a month.
"It is too costly. I don't think many of our relatives will manage this," she said sadly.
Other patients told this paper that they were planning to shift to other places and if possible to traditional herbal dispensers because of the high fees charged at the MNH.
At Mwananyamala hospital the same scenario was noticed where the hospital management has also changed medical costs citing various reasons including the MSD debt crisis.
The hospital which is usually crowded with patients seeking treatment raised doctors consultation fees to Sh6,000 from Sh1,000 for patients going to see the doctor.
Charges for patients who are being transferred (referred) to Mwananyamala from other hospital are now placed at Sh3,000.
The Guardian on Sunday has also learnt that the admission fee for inpatients is Sh10 000 and those for minor operation slated at Sh50,000 while major operations will cost up to Sh100,000.
Medical services for people with special needs such as elders, AIDS patients and those with sickle cell disability or people affected with drugs continue to be offered freely.
Things were different at Amana referral hospital where the hospital secretary Zamzam Ndossy said they have not introduced any charges to compensate for the debt owed to MSD.
"We are charging normal fees for both in-patients as well as out-patients," she said on behalf of the hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr Meshack Shimwela.
She revealed that they were still charging Sh2,000 for a patient who attends the hospital for treatment, an amount including fees for doctor's consultation fees as part of cost sharing basis.
She said the amount is exempted for maternity cases for expectant mothers as well as children whose treatment is guaranteed as free of charge.
Ndossy noted that another charge is Sh10, 000 for in-patients, paid from the second week from the time of the patient's admission.
Some charges are for medicines prescribed by doctors and which a patient is required to buy whenever such medicines are not available within the hospital or are out of stock.
Temeke Hospital management said that they have not yet changed the costs. The hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Amani Malima, affirmed that his hospital is still using its habitual cost structure.
"What I know is that sometimes a hospital needs to review medical costs due to the fact that as time changes the price of medicine changes," Dr Malima affirmed.
He however disclosed that already the hospital has paid MSD all its debt amounting to Sh26 million for medicines.
The doctor in-charge of Palestina Hospital located at Sinza, Dr Benedict Luoga said that due to the increase of running cost at the hospitals they will soon introduce new charges for their services.
"Currently we are still using the same medical cost format as we are waiting for the board order that will advise us which is the valid price that corresponds to operational costs," he said.
On October 27 the Minister for Health and Social Welfare Dr Seif Rashid told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Services that between July and October this year, the government paid 10.7bn/- of the 100.7bn/- it owed MSD initially.
However on Friday the government pledged to pay MSD in installments to rescue the situation.
"I cannot state how much but the bottom line is that we shall pay in installments," Deputy Minister for Finance Mwigulu Nchemba told The Guardian on Friday in Dodoma, insisting that the government has many priorities.
"While the Treasury may not be in a position to pay off the entire debt, it will make some effort to reduce it," he added.
Parliamentary sources however placed the expected amount at Sh20bn that will be paid to MSD in the first installment.
http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/?l=73976
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
A long week survey carried out by The Guardian on Sunday reporters showed that not all hospitals in the city have adopted new charges, and those applying new charges differ in specific charges, while others are waiting for board directives to alter the charges they make on patients.
New charges introduced following the ministry's order directed public hospitals to submit half of their monthly revenue to the Medical Store Department (MSD) until the outstanding Sh90bn owed to it is paid off. Some hospitals however affirmed that they have no debts with MSD.
The ministerial order comes after hospitals across the country reported a dire shortage of essential medicines associated with MSD's reluctance to serve indebted facilities.
New medical charges introduced in order to compensate MSD debt, the decision that has been criticized by many city residents who said was not supposed to be paid by patients.
A survey by The Guardian on Sunday has revealed that patients are now worried of being abandoned by their relatives at hospitals due to the rising cost of hospitalisation.
Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) information Officer, Doris Ishinda said that charges for admission of patients have increased to 7, 000 per night, while earlier patients were required to pay Sh20,000 for the all time they were admitted at the hospital.
"Now the situation has changed. A patient has to pay Sh7,000 per day," she stated, noting that Sh5000 is paid for the bed cost and Sh2, 000 for food.
However when interviewed, some patients at the MNH said the hiked costs were worrying them because some had no financial muscle to pay.
"This is becoming difficult because we feel our relatives might abandon us if they fail to pay the charges," said Beatrice Rwegasira.
She said there were some patients who are admitted for more than a month and if they have to pay Sh7,000 per day that means one has to pay more than Sh200,000 a month.
"It is too costly. I don't think many of our relatives will manage this," she said sadly.
Other patients told this paper that they were planning to shift to other places and if possible to traditional herbal dispensers because of the high fees charged at the MNH.
At Mwananyamala hospital the same scenario was noticed where the hospital management has also changed medical costs citing various reasons including the MSD debt crisis.
The hospital which is usually crowded with patients seeking treatment raised doctors consultation fees to Sh6,000 from Sh1,000 for patients going to see the doctor.
Charges for patients who are being transferred (referred) to Mwananyamala from other hospital are now placed at Sh3,000.
The Guardian on Sunday has also learnt that the admission fee for inpatients is Sh10 000 and those for minor operation slated at Sh50,000 while major operations will cost up to Sh100,000.
Medical services for people with special needs such as elders, AIDS patients and those with sickle cell disability or people affected with drugs continue to be offered freely.
Things were different at Amana referral hospital where the hospital secretary Zamzam Ndossy said they have not introduced any charges to compensate for the debt owed to MSD.
"We are charging normal fees for both in-patients as well as out-patients," she said on behalf of the hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr Meshack Shimwela.
She revealed that they were still charging Sh2,000 for a patient who attends the hospital for treatment, an amount including fees for doctor's consultation fees as part of cost sharing basis.
She said the amount is exempted for maternity cases for expectant mothers as well as children whose treatment is guaranteed as free of charge.
Ndossy noted that another charge is Sh10, 000 for in-patients, paid from the second week from the time of the patient's admission.
Some charges are for medicines prescribed by doctors and which a patient is required to buy whenever such medicines are not available within the hospital or are out of stock.
Temeke Hospital management said that they have not yet changed the costs. The hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Amani Malima, affirmed that his hospital is still using its habitual cost structure.
"What I know is that sometimes a hospital needs to review medical costs due to the fact that as time changes the price of medicine changes," Dr Malima affirmed.
He however disclosed that already the hospital has paid MSD all its debt amounting to Sh26 million for medicines.
The doctor in-charge of Palestina Hospital located at Sinza, Dr Benedict Luoga said that due to the increase of running cost at the hospitals they will soon introduce new charges for their services.
"Currently we are still using the same medical cost format as we are waiting for the board order that will advise us which is the valid price that corresponds to operational costs," he said.
On October 27 the Minister for Health and Social Welfare Dr Seif Rashid told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Services that between July and October this year, the government paid 10.7bn/- of the 100.7bn/- it owed MSD initially.
However on Friday the government pledged to pay MSD in installments to rescue the situation.
"I cannot state how much but the bottom line is that we shall pay in installments," Deputy Minister for Finance Mwigulu Nchemba told The Guardian on Friday in Dodoma, insisting that the government has many priorities.
"While the Treasury may not be in a position to pay off the entire debt, it will make some effort to reduce it," he added.
Parliamentary sources however placed the expected amount at Sh20bn that will be paid to MSD in the first installment.
http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/?l=73976
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
