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(LUSAKA TIMES) Waived off Users Fees Triggers Increased Patients

Waived off Users Fees Triggers Increased Patients
Posted on June 4th, 2008

A recent draft report on user fees has revealed that the waiving off of user fees in Government health institutions has resulted in the immediate increase of patients seeking health services from Public health centres and institutions. And the report has further disclosed that the move has also triggered drug shortages in most Government health centres.

Speaking in Lusaka today, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction Senior Consultant Dr John Milimo said the increased number of people visiting health centres has resulted into work overloads on the part of the health personnel whose numbers had remained stagnant.

Dr Milimo noted that the abolition of user fees has further resulted into loss of the main financial resource in Government institutions. He added that there had also been loss of staff such as cleaners and security guards.

Meanwhile, Dr Milimo has urged Government to put in place extra remedial measures aimed at attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health.

Dr Milimo said the attainment of the MDGs on health would not be realised because of the so many health requirements that needed to be worked on by Government and other stakeholders in an effort to achieve the MDGs by 2015.

He cited the adequate supply of drugs to respond effectively to increased demand on public health services, increased staffing levels at resource health centres to enable the health personnel attend to the skyrocketed population seeking health services as some of the necessary requirements needed for the realisation of the MDGs.

Others measures, Dr Milimo cited include the provision of an adequate budget to heath institutions, provision of transport such as ambulances to cater for patients who travel long distances.

Labels: HEALTHCARE, IMF, JOHN MILIMO, NEOLIBERALISM, USER FEES

posted by MrK @ 7:11 PM