Dumsor: Allow hospitals to charge extra fees – GHS boss

The Ghana Health Service is proposing that hospitals and other health facilities be allowed to charge patients extra fees to carter for their utility tariffs.

The Director General of the Service, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira, says the decision by the Finance Ministry to stop paying electricity bills of public hospitals has put a further burden on the facilities hence, the proposal. 

In the wake of the current power crisis, some public hospitals have been contemplating charging patients extra to enable them to power their plants.

According to Dr. Appiah Denkyira, the idea is “brilliant” and it must be allowed to be implemented. In an interview with Radio Ghana, Dr Appiah Denkyira said Just as the driver in the lorry station will do when fuel goes up, by spreading the cost to the passengers, the facilities should be allowed to do same.

According to him, although the various hospitals explained, the extra costs to patients, the policy had to be put on hold “because the media gave it a negative light.  

Dr. Appiah Denkyira stressed that the current energy crisis has brought undue hardship on the public hospitals and urgent mitigation measures are needed to support their operations. 

He however said, further consultations will be done before implementation.

GBC