CCZ condemns hikes

Herald Reporter
The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe has described the reported Government decision to allow general practitioners to increase consultation fees by 75 percent as inconsiderate. CCZ director Mrs Rosemary Siyachitema told this paper that the hikes were unfair as nothing warranted the upward review.

“People are already facing severe economic challenges and for government to approve the hike is sheer inconsideration,” she said. “Something should be done about this because many people will not afford the new fee structure.”

Mrs Siyachitema said it was saddening that the rise came at a time medical aid societies were involved in salary scandals.
“The rise in doctors’ fees comes at a time when some medical aid societies are rocked with salary scandals and their failure to pay service providers for subscribers’ medical care,” she said.

Government last week reprotedly gave medical practitioners the green light to increase consultation fees by 75 percent, meaning consultation with a general practitioner will rise from US$20 to around US$35 per visit.

The GPs had proposed to increase the tariff to US$50.
Consultation fees for specialist doctors, however, are likely to be revised downwards from around US$80 to US$65 a visit. Specialists had proposed increasing their consultation fees to US$120.

On the other hand, medical aid societies were opposed to any hikes, arguing that the current tariffs were already exorbitant for the majority of Zimbabweans.

This deadlock forced Government to impose a tariff, which is now set for gazetting.
Once gazetted, the tariffs become legally binding and every service provider is expected to comply with them.