Patients’ fees keep hospital running

National

THE Modilon Hospital in Madang has been operating using fees imposed on patients in the past three months because of the delay in government funding support, an official says.
Acting hospital chief executive officer Dr Vincent Atua said they were charging fees to keep the hospital operating.
The fees include charges for blood tests.
Atua said they were using the fees to pay for hospital phone bills and other operational costs.
The hospital compound is also overgrown with bushes because there is no money to mow the lawns and clean the flower beds.
The hospital is preparing to host the 2018 national health symposium which will be attended by around 500 doctors and health specialists.
Atua said the hospital would be informing the public about the symposium and preparations for the event.
“The first week of September 2018 will be a very busy time for this hospital as host of the symposium,” he said.
Meanwhile Atua is inviting the public to visit the hospital and report what services need to be improved and which staff is not serving them to their expectation.
“If we also treat you well, please give a compliment because it goes a long way for us,” Atua said.