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Ingutsheni seeks nod to charge for services

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BULAWAYO’s Ingutsheni Central Hospital is seeking approval from the government to start charging for its services to stave off crippling drug and food shortages.

BULAWAYO’s Ingutsheni Central Hospital is seeking approval from the government to start charging for its services to stave off crippling drug and food shortages.

BY TALENT GUMPO

David Parirenyatwa
David Parirenyatwa

The institution’s chief executive officer Nyasha Chibvongodze told Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa during his visit to the hospital on Wednesday that they were failing to cater for their patients, as they received a paltry sum to fund operations from government this year.

“We have a budget of $900 000 for the whole year, but we only received $70 000 from the government for medication. So we are really stranded,” he said.

“Patients do not pay us anything and they expect food and medication from us. It is really hard to operate, as we have not received even half of the money we were promised.”

The health institution, which caters for mentally ill patients, depends entirely on government budgetary allocation for its recurrent expenditure, forcing authorities to seek hand-outs from well-wishers.

Chibvongodze said the lack of funds had led to patients dying after failing to get treatment in public hospitals.

“Hospitals need cash for patients from Ingutsheni, if we do not give them, the patients are sent back. At one point, one of our patients died when he was returned to us because we could not pay the hospital.”

Chibvongodze said they were also facing shortages of vehicles, detergents, staff uniforms and patients’ linen.

In response, Parirenyatwa said: “I acknowledge your dedication, for an institution that has not received money this year, I will take the matter to Senate and we will address it.”

Meanwhile, Mater Dei Private Hospital has proposed to hike its user fees by 10% to raise funds for the refurbishment of its infrastructure.

The hospital currently charges $111 for a bed.

“We train students from the National University of Science and Technology’s faculty of medicine, so we need to provide and upgrade basic technologies and infrastructure at the hospital to make sure we remain relevant,” Mater Dei Hospital board chairman Eric Cohen told Parirenyatwa on Wednesday.

He said the institution was proposing to open a school to train nurses in the intensive care unit to avoid having nurses going to Harare for training.

Ingutsheni chief executive officer Maureen Jameson said the institution’s cash challenges were being exacerbated by some medical aid societies who were not paying their clients’ medical bills.

“A number of our patients are covered by medical aid schemes, so we are facing challenges in terms of accessing our money from some of them,” she said.

But Parirenyatwa said the hospital’s proposal could not be looked at in isolation, as the country was facing cash shortages.

“While you have asked for an increase, we need to engage other stakeholders as well. We have to approach the issue holistically. But if we agree to increase your fees, what will happen because as it is, your patients are failing to pay the current fee? How will they pay what you are asking for?

“Other hospitals have to be consulted because for one, we are a hard up economy, so any increase will be hard to approve,” he responded.