Blow to Machakos Residents as Government Introduces Public Hospitals Consultation Fees

Patients visiting Level 5, Level 4 and Level 3 hospitals in Machakos County will be required to pay consultation fees before being attended to.

Addressing journalists outside Machakos Level Five hospital the County Health Boss Daniel Yumbya said that the decision was arrived at in a bid to ensure patients get quality health care services.

Yumbya said that according to 2021 law, Level 5 hospitals are supposed to charge sh. 150 for consultation fees while Level 4 hospitals should charge sh. 100 and Level 3 to charge sh. 50.

“Across Kenya any patient visiting a hospital pays consultation fee according to the law and so in Machakos all level five, four and three hospitals will charge consultation fees. Only level two hospitals will not charge consultation fees,”said Yumbya.

“Imagine a patient was getting admitted to a level four facility, getting education, food, bathing water , a bed and after getting well being discharged without paying a cent. Such things are the one contributing to insufficient drugs in hospitals,” he added.

The health boss said that the monies will not be paid in cash but to a pay bill instead and a special card will be issued to residents of Machakos county in a bid to differentiate them from those coming from outside the county to seek medication.

“When we announce the arrival of drugs to our hospitals the number of patients double. Anyone from outside the County will be forced to pay more charges than the locals,” Yumbya added.

He also urged locals to register with NHIF to be able to foot medical bills and bring income to the County Government.

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