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GOVERNMENT should revamp the public health sector to cushion patients against prohibitive costs of medical care in the private sector, health experts have said. In separate interviews yesterday, the analysts agreed that local medical costs were higher compared to other countries in the region.
They attributed the disparity to macro economic factors.
It costs US$13 500 for hip replacement in Zimbabwe while in Zimbia patients pay US4500 and US$9000 in Malawi for the same service.
Health economist Mr Shepherd Shamhu said when the US dollar was introduced in the country, it was undervalued.
He said this scenario resulted in prohibitive costs of services and commodities.
“It is not their fault. We have to understand that when the US dollar was introduced it was undervalued,” he said.
Mr Shamhu said Zimbabwe, unlike other countries, did not have costing structures for health services.
He said there was a need to come up with actual costs of a service from which both public and private service providers base their charges from.
Mr Shamhu said abuse of the US dollar was not sector specific but cuts across all sectors of the economy.
“Interfering with private practice has its own implications to quality of services rendered. Therefore, the ultimate solution to this problem is to invest in the public health system so that very few people seek services from the private sector,” he said.
He said Government should not rely on the national budget or donor funding instead, should be innovative and come up with alternative sources of funding for health.
Private service providers are seeking an upward review of medical fees despite the fees being high already.
Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director Mr Itai Rusike, said doctors should understand that the general population did not have money.
“Increasing their tariffs defeats the whole idea of the right to health enshrined in the New Constitution.
“If they go ahead, more people will struggle to access healthcare and die at their homes,” he said.
He urged Government to reconsider allowing medical aid societies to operate clinics and other services.
Another health analyst from the University of Zimbabwe who spoke on condition of anonymity, said what was happening in the health sector was the law of supply and demand.
“That’s what happens when demand is high. Sadly, patients are not ready for any increase in medical costs,” he said.
Contacted for comment Health and Child Care deputy Minister Dr Paul Chimedza, said Government was working on the tariff issue without shedding more light on the progress.
The Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZiMA) yesterday backtracked on their initial position, saying they had not yet increased their tariffs and were still waiting for Government’s intervention.
In a statement, ZiMA president Mr Enock Tatira, said general practitioners, were the worst affected with no fee increase in the past five years against escalating monthly medical aid contributions.
“ZiMA is against all medical aid societies that have ventured into service provision and call upon the regulator to act by stopping this as a matter of urgency,” he said.
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