Bundibugyo health workers ‘charge fees’

 By GEOFFREY MUTEGEKI ARAALI

Posted  Thursday, October 11  2012 at  01:00

 Health officials in Bundibugyo District charge fees and solicit bribes from patients to offer services, a new report has revealed.

The report by the Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition (RAC), a non-governmental organisation operating in the Rwenzori Sub-region, indicates that health workers at Bundibugyo Hospital allegedly ask mothers to pay for services, including delivery of babies.

Mr Meshach Byomuntura, the programmes officer of RAC, said for delivery of a baby boy, mothers pay Shs25,000 and Shs30,000 for baby girls.
However, the report does not explain why the charge varies according to sex.

“The services are supposed to be free but these people are charging for them. This discourages our mothers from delivering in hospitals and instead go to traditional birth attendants,” Mr Byomuntura said.

He added that even other services like surgery and radiography were being paid for, a thing he described as a “corruption tendency”.

“Surgical services are charged at Shs200,000 and as a result two patients, one from Kikyo and another from Kisugu, have died after they couldn’t raise the money,” Mr Byomuntura said.

The district chairperson, Mr Jolly Tibemenya, confirmed having met one of the victims of the alleged extortions but she reportedly feared to name the culprits.

“I asked her to tell me the culprits but she declined, saying she will use the same health facility and could be mistreated,” Mr Tibemanya said.
He added: “I couldn’t take further steps because I had nowhere to start from, but we are investigating the allegations.”

Another report
A recent research report by Development Alternative firm in Kamwenge, Kaberamaido and Amuria districts, found out that many reproductive health services, which are supposed to be free of charge, are paid for.

“In Soroti when you deliver a baby boy, you pay Shs20,000 and a girl Shs15,000. People now take chicken to health facilities to raise the fee. Our people are ignorant that’s why they pay for the services,” said Ms Suzan Bagisha and official from the research firm.

The same report shows that most respondents do not know whom to report to in case they are charged the fee.

Ms Bagisha indicated that charging unofficial fees, payment for preferential treatment, and utilities like mama kits are rife in the health sector.

She attributed the loophole to weak health unit management committees.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com


comments by Geoffrey Buga • 4 hours ago

It is indeed true that patients already pay for most medical services, either to be seen, investigated, x-rayed, operated on or delivered. Almost invariably, they have to buy some if not all drug items. In many cases, the first people they come in contact with at these health units are the clerks who may be the ones who demand the payments before allowing the patients to get to see a clinical officer, nurse or doctor. The ordinary person does not distinguish between the various categories of people who work in health units. They lump them together as doctors or nurses. There are also instances of people masquarading as doctors or nusres who demand payments. I am not trying to defend healthcare workers who charge patients. I believe that, especially for doctors, since no one stops them from running their own part-time practices after hours, they really have no reason to charge patients in the hospitals for consultation or surgery. I also believe that resumption of cost sharing can improve service delivery because hospitals will be able to buy essential cleaning materials, gloves, and other simple items, instead of waiting for funds from the centre, and allowances can be paid to all categories of staff from the collected funds. Nominal fees won't break the back of patients who already pay much more for these services.

 

 

Comments by: Kalani Jonathan • 18 hours ago

Actually, government should reinstate cost sharing in hospitals because people have always cost shared. This will make many items like drugs and other utilities available. We should fund our health in a way. After all, even if the shs. 260 bn were available, it would end in some people's stomachs.

Accessed from:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Bundibugyo+health+workers++charge+fees+/-/688334/1530504/-/14o6hu1/-/index.html   on 11 October, 2012