Activist slams Malawi govt over hospital user fees

A health rights activist has asked the government to halt its plans to introduce user fees in public hospitals, saying the government is not prepared for that.

Patients and Health Community Foundation executive director Awali Alide said there were a lot of things the government needed to sort out before forcing people to pay for the health services.

Government says the user fees will be introduced in July.

Alide said there was need for the government to improve services in public hospitals so that patients have value for their money.

Opposition People’s Party acting president Uladi Mussa concurred with Alide, saying the government needed to stock all hospitals with medicine, there should be adequate staff, make sure there are enough ambulances among others.

However, Mafunde President George Mnesa welcomed the initiative by the government saying this will improve health services in public hospitals.

Dorothy Ngoma, another health rights activist said the move was overdue.

She said there was need for patients and the government to share costs.

Ngoma said the absence of the cost sharing mechanism of treatment is partly to blame for the collapsing health services in the country.