Government has announced fees for Ugandans and other patients seeking services from the new Mulago specialized Women and Neonatal hospital.
Last week on behalf of government, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda officially received the 450- bed hospital that cost about shs100 billion.
Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on Wednesday, the Minister for Health, Dr.Ruth Aceng said the fees had been reached at by cabinet after examining costs services as provided for by other hospitals in the country.
“Patients will pay shs50,000 for consultation services whereas pregnant mothers will pay shs 890,000 for antenatal services,”Dr.Aceng told journalists.
According to the minister, an antenatal package which will have a maximum of eight visits will also include baseline laboratory tests,13D/4D, 2 ultra sounds, essential drugs for antenatal and immunization.
The Health minister also noted that patients will be required to part with shs13 million for specialized treatment
Neonatal follow up per visit or immunization will cost shs70,000 according to the minister.
Inpatients will pay shs80, 000 per day for accommodation and this includes food, utilities and linen.
The new hospital according to the Health Minister, will have services classified as standard, VIP and VVIP.
“The difference in the costs will be on accommodation. There will be suits for those patients who wish to be treated as VIP or VVIP with Dstv services,”Aceng said.
She noted that foreigners would be charged differently from Ugandans before asking the latter to always move with their National IDs to avoid being overcharged.
Patients accessing the services should be referred patients from our referral facilities except for those that are exclusively offered at Mulago Specialised women and neonatal hospital such as IVF, laparoscopic surgery
“Uganda largely operates as a cash economy. We expect foreigners to pay. We can no longer depend on the Government budget to provide services. The doctors at the hospital will also want payment. If you need high quality services. You must pay.”
According to government, the new hospital will only be carrying out surgeries as normal deliveries will continue taking place at the Health Centre 3s and 4s.
“The deliveries that will be done at this facility will only be high risk.”
Only patients referred from regional referral hospitals as well as Kawempe and Kiruddu hospitals will be allowed to access the facility.
The hospital will offer services for complicated pregnancy cases, urinary complications, reproductive system and early cancer detection and In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) among others and according to government will help decongest the old Mulago National Specialized hospital