malawi introduces hospital ‘bypass’ fees
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Sometimes a system grows out of negligence. We all know that, in Malawi, central hospitals are tertiary facilities and considering the referral system in Malawi, no one is supposed to go to the facilities without being referred to by either lower government facilities of private facilities. The Ministry of Health, hence is geared towards implementing restrictive bypass fees. How much is restrictive is a different question. I hope Malawians will get to understand that this is not a health insurance fee.TRANSCRIPT
3/19/2015 Malawi introduces hospital ‘bypass’ fees: Pegged at K1,500 | Malawi Nyasa Times – Malawi breaking news in Malawi
http://www.nyasatimes.com/2015/03/18/malawiintroduceshospitalbypassfeespeggedatk1500/ 1/3
Kalirani: User fees
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Malawi introduces hospital ‘bypass’ fees: Pegged at K1,500March 18, 2015 Nyasa Times Reporter Health, Politics 87 comments
Malawi government has introduced user fees for walk in patients in major public hospitals who seek treatment without being referred byeither nearest health facilities which is pegged at K1500 per patient.
Minister of Health Dr Jean Kalirani disclosed recently that government willintroduce paying fees in all its public hospitals be used to finance a healthfund to address underfunding within the health sector.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Henry Chimbali said Wednesday that thefees would be levied on patients bypassing government health centreswithin their vicinity opting to access medical services at major referralhospitals.
“Government has introduced these paying services in the major referralhospitals to address underfunding within the health sector,” he added
Through the “bypass”, he said, the government wished to allocate 40percent of the collected revenue from the charges towards hospital staffincentives and the remaining would be earmarked for maintenance.
Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) director Jonathan Ngoma said the feecalled ‘bypass’ is a token designed to decongest the hospital and encouraging sufferers to seek treatment at the health centres.
Malawi’s government hospitals offer free services to the citizenry. Often times the hospitals have suffered drug and medical equipmentshortages – problems that have been blamed on lack of enough funding.
However, the issue of user fees remain contentious with with Global Hope Mobilisation (Glohomo) executive director Caleb Thole criticisedthe introduction of consultation charges as a violation of access to free and quality healthcare services.
“Research has shown that user fees or any form of payment in a government hospitals is no an effective form of health financing as it isonly capable of mobilising five percent to 10 percent of recurrent budgets,
“In the long run it also reduces efficiency of demand for health services through decreasing demand for appropriate health care amongpoorer and vulnerable groups and the beginning of bypass fee is partof it, there is just no difference, the poor is paying anway,” Thole said .
Global development and advocacy charity, Oxfam, recently warned government against heeding calls to introduce user fees in the country’shospitals, warning that the move will hurt the country’s poor.
Government was also urged in a local newspaper editorial to put in place measures that would ensure money made from the user feesfrom public health institutions indeed goes towards improving delivery of health services “and not towards enriching people who only careabout their pockets even where they put a number of lives at risk.”
Currently, Ministry of Health has proposed introduction of health risk taxes on alcohol and cigarretes as one way of revenue generationmeasures to complement resources it gets from its partners and the national budget.
In the K780 billion revised 2014/2015 national buget, Parliament allocated K69 billion to the Ministry of Health. In contrast, the ministry’stotal health expenditure was projected at K274 billion for the year.
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87 thoughts on “Malawi introduces hospital ‘bypass’ fees: Pegged at K1,500”
Kiss Wicked Lester says:March 19, 2015 at 2:34 pm
did you catch peter on that metal show?
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Brave Nyanyaluwa says:March 19, 2015 at 2:04 pm
In the first place this started long time ago like 2009 at KCH skin department. It seems good but on the other hand no. In most cases thesemoneys don’t go to Govt they end up in people’s pockets. Its either an attendant or someone else. They issue GRs without a stamp etc. Ifthey rectify this I stand to support it. Uku ndiye kuwapatsa danga kuti adye ndithu.
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Mugonapamuhanya says:March 19, 2015 at 12:55 pm
It is true Malawi is not poor but Malawians are. They are poor in the head. How do you think Malawi can develop when its citizens are juststaying phwii waiting for free maize, free education, free fertilizers, free medicine in hospitals, free houses etc? Those of you who say thatMalawians are poor to afford hospital fees are senseless individuals who are against development. Did you know that fees at traditionalhealers (sing’ingas) are exorbitant yet they are the favorites to the same poor villagers? Malawians in rural areas are known for big andlavish weddings and funerals, does the govt pay for such things? Salt and chigayo are never free yet every household afford them.Secondary school education is not free yet it is dominated by the same poor rural folks. Don’t exargerate things. Cyclists in Mozambiquepay tax for their bicycles and do not complain. It’s time to move forward.
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