Recently, Harare Central Hospital authorities told opportunistic infection patients that the hospital would soon start charging consultation fees for any treatment outside anti-retroviral therapy reviews.
According to the Ministry of Health, HIV testing, counselling, treatment and CD4 counts are free of charge in public health institutions. This is due to resources from the government through the AIDS Levy, as well as development partners such as USAID, Global Fund, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, UK AID and other donors.
The Ministry of Health 2011 estimates that 1, 235 million adults in the country and are living with HIV.
The Zimbabwean spoke to parents of children living with HIV.
A woman identified as Ambuya Nastai (67) said she was looking after her grandchild whose mother died of the disease.
“My daughter was a single mother and she died three years after giving birth to this child and I am the only guardian. I sell vegetables for a living,” she said. “If the hospital authorities charge us user fees it will be very difficult for me to afford consultation fees as well as drugs. This will kill my grandchild.”
She added that the government should act quickly or at least subsidise the fees.
The consultation fee for children older than five at Harare Hospital is $6 while adults pay $10.
In some remote areas people living with HIV pay a CD4 count and stationery fee of $1.
The treatment of tuberculosis is free of charge but those with illnesses such as pneumonia pay a consultation fee of $5 at local clinics and $10 at hospitals.
Aisha Kamusoko (25), a guardian of her nine-year-old brother, said charging user fees was not the right route to take.
“My mother died when my young brother was just two-years-old and I was doing A levels. Since then, life has not been easy as it took four years for him to get ART,” she said. “Now he is receiving drugs, his health has greatly improved and introducing user fees will likely reverse these gains.”
Harare Central Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Peggy Zvavamwe, confirmed that the hospital was considering charging patients but said negotiations with the government were still in progress. “The policy is silent on charging user fees. Since it does not say charge or do not charge, we are still engaging policy makers on the appropriate route to take,” she said.
Post published in: News