Ministry of Health clarifies fee's

Thank goodness the Ministry of Health has, 3 weeks into the year, decided to CLARIFY its fee structure.

Namotu the PR person and his illegal and treasonous Minister have been sitting on their hands thus far. 

They could have saved alot of public anxst by making these changes very explicit on Tuesday, 4 January 2011.

There are still flaws in this proposed fee structure policy however.

By unceremoniously jacking up the antenatal, delivery and postnatal costs for paying customers, it is almost an invitation to the paying customes to make do with the free and mediocre services. Furthermore paying customers in our public hospitals never get priority treatment, quality bedside manner or access to the medical consultants 24-7 anway -- so are the price hikes really justified?

And this really is the point. 

No matter what policies and rules this illegal and treasonous regime roll out, it will always be riddled with short-sighted and inconsistent twaddle because the policies have not been appropriately challenged by a democratically elected Parliament.

Fiji clarifies hospital charges
Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Ministry of Health has clarified that payments of hospital fees and charges will only be paid by patients admitted in any Paying Ward of the Colonial War Memorial, Lautoka, Labasa, Nadi and Savusavu hospitals.

The ministries made the clarification after what it says were confusions, misconceptions and misinterpretation by the general public of the new charges that came into effect on the 1st of January.

Health ministry spokesperson Peni Namotu says paying ward patients and private patients referred from private practitioners will be required to pay for all hospital services in accordance with the new fees structure.

For maternity patients, payment of fees and charges is only applicable to patients admitted in any Paying Ward or paying Maternity Ward, otherwise all other patients in general maternity wards are not required to pay any fees.

And all dental services for 15-year-olds and above are to be paid in accordance with the new fee structure with the exception of Orthodontics and mouth guard treatment, which will be paid for by all age groups.

Some amendments were undertaken on January 07 for initial changes.

Report by: Roland Koroi