It’s illegal to charge patients - Masebo
IT is illegal for health personnel to charge patients especially pregnant mothers, Health Minister, Sylvia Masebo, has said.
Ms Masebo has asked management at Solwezi General Hospital to refund a woman who was allegedly charged K300 for X-ray and scanning services.
This came to light when she made an impromptu visit at the only provincial referral centre in the early hours yesterday.
A hospital administrator only identified as Mr Pandawe was at pains to explain to the minister what transpired.
Mr Pandawe explained that going by policy and structure of the ministry, services are free for primary health care as well as first level hospitals
which was not the case with Solwezi General Hospital.
“Solwezi General hospital is a second level hospital which implies that certain services are chargeable,” said Mr Pandawe.
He revealed that services such as x-ray, radiology, scanning and laboratory services are chargeable.
He however mentioned that management has put in place a mechanism that exempts vulnerable patients.
“And we have dedicated officers that deal with such cases,” he said.
But Ms Masebo did not buy into the explanation saying it is not government policy to make patients pay for health services. “It is not government policy to charge patients especially pregnant women,” said Ms Masebo. She wondered why the health facility was in a mess when management was collecting money from patients.
“And where does the money you collect go because toilets are dirty, the floor is something else. You are collecting money from patients illegally and on top of that government is giving you hefty monthly grants,” Ms Masebo said.
And North Western Province Permanent Secretary Colonel Grandson Katambi revealed that the mess at the health facility was as a result of some personnel wanting to tarnish the image of the government.
He said the shortage of medicine and other services are artificial.