MPs want government to stop hospitals from charging Covid-19 patients exorbitant fees
Members of Parliament under their umbrella body, the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Malaria have tasked government to urgently intervene and rein in private medical facilities that are charging Covid-19 patients an arm and a leg.
They said government should come up with a statement on the matter in addition to putting up measures that will will help patients suffering from other diseases to get the required treatment.
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Since the outbreak of the second wave of Covid-19, some medical facilities have revised their treatment rates upwards.
Many of these facilities charge Covid-19 patients between Shs 2 million and Shs 5 million per day spent in the ICU.
In addition, some hospitals require patients to pay an upfront admission fee ranging between Shs 5 million and Shs 10 million.
But MPs said these exorbitant fees are making a bad situation worse.
"They are cheating the poor Ugandans," said one of the MPs.
"This is going to lead to more loss of lives."
The legislators also called for accountability of all funds and donations directed to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic since March last year.
The MPs also said that in the enforcement of the presidential directives on Covid-19, particularly that stopping inter district movement, some security operatives had brutalised people suffering from other diseases who want to cross to other districts in pursuit of better medical treatment.
