By Neo Kolane
The ministry of health has reiterated that crucial health services at clinics and hospitals under the Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL) and Red Cross are not to be paid for by the patients.
CHAL is a voluntary health services organisation of six member churches comprising of The Anglican Church in Lesotho, The Assemblies of God, Lesotho Evangelical Church in Southern Africa, The Roman Catholic Church, The Seventh Day Adventist Church of Southern Africa and The Bible Covenant Church.
The association was registered in Lesotho in 1974 under the Societies Act. CHAL currently provides about 40 percent of health care in Lesotho and is a key partner of the government of Lesotho in the health sector. The member churches own eight hospitals and 71 health centres throughout Lesotho.
CHAL has been in partnership with the government of Lesotho for over 10 years and it is guided by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) whereby CHAL provides services to Basotho freely at health centres and at highly subsidised fees at hospitals in return for a subvention from the government.
A statement issued by the ministry’s principal secretary Moliehi Ntene this week indicated that the MoU between the government of Lesotho through the ministry of health and Red Cross and CHAL in 2007 is still in force, and no changes have yet been made on the arrangement.
The statement further stated that the MoU details that the ministry of health will support with 80 percent of funding to those health facilities under CHAL and the Red Cross so as to offer health services to Basotho. It said the remaining 20 percent should be forked out from the health centres’ coffers.
“The same MoU indicates that all CHAL hospitals will cover patients’ expenses to consult doctors as well as to receive medication and other medical services,” the statement read.
The ministry’s statement comes one month after CHAL announced that all hospitals and health centres throughout Lesotho that belong to it will from this year introduce a standardised system for their health services, it has emerged.
This introduction of the standardised system will showcase a list of services which indicate amounts to be paid for health care with only one service spared a charge.
The advocacy and communications officer of CHAL Lebohang Liphapang last month said the procedure of the system for the services is still being scrutinised for it to be implemented so that it can be standardised in the long run.
She disclosed that the amount charged at hospitals started from M15 just like in government hospitals while clinics rendered free services. But that is set to change from next year adding that a decision was yet to be made on certain services which will be excluded from being charged.
She explained that the management of CHAL’s facilities should have put notice boards or made announcements publicly regarding the changes to be made.
“When it comes to clinics and hospitals under CHAL, the matter on their sustainability is still on the table on how it will be worked on but it is clear that the bottom line is that a private wing will be introduced in clinics.
“There will be two queues; people who can afford services privately will get their treat, and patients who cannot afford their services will also get them but in the meantime, the private wing will introduce a system or a clear policy as to how it will be facilitated because for now, it is just an idea.
“The government has tabled that issue to us, so it is for CHAL to sit down and figure how policies are made around it so that it becomes a success,” she explained.
She stressed that the problem is caused by a delay in the disbursement of the subvention from the ministry of health explaining that when the money is disbursed it is not offered in one phase. That, she noted, means all operations at the facilities are acutely affected including medication and staff monthly salaries.
Meanwhile, the human resource officer of Maluti Adventist Hospital Moroesi Kokome confirmed to theReporter in December that the hospital started in November to charge an extra amount of money for them to be offered health services.
