Malawi to introduce paying fees in hospitals -Minister

The Malawi government says it will introduce paying fees in all its public hospitals be used to finance a health fund, Minister of Health Dr Jean Kalirani has disclosed.

Kalirani:  User fees
Kalirani: User fees

Cabinet was currently working on the prices for the user fees “to help improve health service delivery.”

Malawi’s government hospitals offer free services to the citizenry. Often times the hospitals have suffered drug and medical equipment shortages – problems that have been blamed on lack of enough funding.

However, the issue of user fees remain contentious with Billy Mayaya, member of Civic and Political Space Platform, on record telling  Nyasa Times  that the move will hurt more Malawians.

“There is need to create a consuming culture so that people have the disposable income to pay for improved service delivery in hospitals. Right now the majority of Malawians are directing their meager incomes towards hand to mouth issues of subsistence. To suddenly expect them to pay for health services with incomes they do not have is a slap in the face,” Mayaya told Nyasa Times.

“The majority of people in Malawi live in rural areas and will not be able to afford this drastic change. There is need to curb corruption in the Ministry of Health where billions of kwachas are fleeced and direct the resources to subsidizing health care service,” he added.

Global development and advocacy charity, Oxfam, recently warned government against heeding calls to introduce user fees in the country’s hospitals, warning that the move will hurt the country’s poor.

In a statement signed by Oxfam country director John Makina, the organisation opposed the move, saying government has capacity to increase funding to the health sector without introducing a burden to the poor.

“Reports that some technocrats, civil society organisations and political leaders are advising government to scale-up paying services in public health facilities are not only sad but an attempt to violate poor people’s right to quality health care,” said Makina.

Government was also urged in a local newspaper editorial to put in place measures that would ensure money made from the user fees from public health institutions indeed goes towards improving delivery of health services “and not towards enriching people who only care about their pockets even where they put a number of lives at risk.”

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Napofu
Napofu
9 years ago

Pokhapo ndiye mwaonjeza.Anzanu sanafike pamenepo.Anthu akumudzi ndi ovutika kwambiri .Ndalama ayitenga kuti? Chimene mukudziwa inu ndikufuna malipiro ambiri mukapita ku nyumba ya malamulo.Mwayiwala zomwe mumanena pa kampeni nthawi ija.Ngati zakukanikani bwerani poyera ndi boma lanu lobelaro.Kamuzu amkadulitsa makadi ndalamazo ndikumayendetsera chipani.Komanso misonkho ndalama zake zimagwira ntchito ya boma.Ngati zili choncho ndiye ndibwino musiye kutidula misonkho.anthu akuba inu.

Feeling very sad
Feeling very sad
9 years ago

Its really sad looking at some of the comments on this forum. It makes one think if Malawians have brains at all. I don’t think anyone commenting on this story is from the village or so poor. Probably most go to private clinics for treatment. Malawians lets think before we type. The Majority of the population are very poor people, these are the poor that visit hospitals. Its easy for a Minister to stand some in the midst of a huge crowd and advocate for fees at the hospitals. How many of these even go public hospitals. A lot of… Read more »

Lupanga
9 years ago

Ine ndi brain yangayi sindibakira zopusa koma mantha okhawo ayaya ayaya ayayaya!

zangaphe
9 years ago

Uwu nde umbuzi weniweni boma muganiza kuti anthu akapeza kuti ndalama zoti azilipila chonsecho tili pa number 1 umphawi zazii agalu inu.

Hoitty
Hoitty
9 years ago

Koma anthu osauka akumudzi amakondanso kupita kwa sing’anga ndi a zamba. Kumeneko amakalipirako

Chimwamowa
Chimwamowa
9 years ago

Tingomenyanamo Muno Basi

Wodzichepetsa
Wodzichepetsa
9 years ago

Tikumane ku nseu basi,,

DPP kusanva~ muziwanso

edda mwalweni
edda mwalweni
9 years ago

apa ndiye yalakwa!

Yuri
Yuri
9 years ago

Also introduce a free coffin workshop!

musovenge
9 years ago

u ll solve kuumilira kulamula Mulungu asanalore lero ndizimenezo mukufinya anthu osauka omwe anakuvoterani kuti akupatseni ndalama zoyendetsera boma

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