Private Hospitals Defend High Charges On Covid-19 Patients

Posted by: Kyeyune Andrew Jonathan in Uganda news July 8, 2021

Representatives of private hospitals led by the Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu made a joint presentation. It happened on Tuesday before the parliament to clarify and defend the high charges Covid-19 patients have faced in the private health sector

Grace Ssali Kiwanuka spoke on behalf of the Uganda Healthcare Federation. He said on average, they spend about Shs3.5m per day on a covid-19 patient in critical condition.

Kiwanuka broke down the daily costs saying Shs 1,155,000 is spent on drugs per day, Shs560, 000 on a bed and a ventilator. Furthermore, Shs385, 000 is spent on edibles on top of Shs315, 000 spent as laboratory expenses.

More on that, they spend Shs245, 000 on administrative costs including utilities such as water and electricity. He also said they Shs805, 000 daily as an expense on the medical human resource.

Kiwanuka further explained that the oxygen alone consumes not less than Shs600, 000 in one day on a single patient. And on average, a single patient consumes between 8-10 cylinders of oxygen in a day.

The federation also explained that their facility spends shs45m on electricity and shs10m on water bills each month on average.

From their presentation, the private medical practitioners said at the midpoint, about 10% of expenses on covid-19 patients are uncollectable.

Therefore, they want the government to help them with the utility bills (water and electricity) and to waive taxes such as Pay As You Earn. The PAYE tax collects 30% of their revenue.

‘’Increasing vaccination will greatly help us. It is the best way we shall manage the pandemic. Some of these costs presented are even smaller than the reality on the ground,’’ Dr. Simon Luzige from Nakasero Hospital said.

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