Covid-19: A glance at prices in Maputo private hospitals – Carta

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Covid-19: A glance at prices in Maputo private hospitals – Carta

3:04 CAT | 01 Feb 2021

Covid-19 continues to spread at lightning speed in Mozambique, putting increasing pressure on hospitals, both public and private.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Health (MISAU) announced a further 949 infections, four more deaths, the hospitalisation of 37 more patients and the discharge of only ten. In total, the country has seen 38,654 infections, 14,328 of which are still active, 305 of them currently hospitalised.

By Friday, private hospitals in Maputo were still full and public ones were under pressure from the avalanche of people looking for medical services as a result of Covid-19.

As a way of understanding the Covid-19 ‘economy’ from the point of view of hospitalisations in the private sector, ‘Carta’ visited some private health units in the capital, where, in addition to confirming the lack of hospitalisation capacity, it took note of the astronomical prices demanded for the treatment of patients with Covid-19.

Disguised as a citizen seeking to hospitalise a loved one, our reporter first visited the Blue Cross Clinic on Karl Marx Avenue, in the centre of Maputo, which, we learned, does not have inpatient services.

After the first failure, we next visited one of the most respected private health units in the country – the Heart Institute (ICOR), where we learned that a 500,000 meticais [US$66,440] deposit is required prior to hospitalisation.

“Patients with Covid-19 must pay a 500.000 MT deposit to enter, but depending on the evolution of the patient and the medication, the final cost may be three times that amount. Treatment may cost up to two million meticais,” an emergency department receptionist explained.

At the Maputo Private Hospital, another respected private health unit in the capital, we were informed that the cost there depends on the needs of the patient. “For a patient who needs oxygen, 390,000 meticais is required, and for patients who need ventilators, 650,000 meticais. As in other hospitals, this amount may be spent entirely, or part of it may be returned, depending on the patient’s recovery,” the receptionist who attended to us told us on the spot.

The private clinic of the Central Hospital of Maputo also sets the amount according to the needs of the patient. “If the patient arrives and has to go to the resuscitation room, he or she pays 250,000 meticais,” a service agent on duty told us.

It should be noted that our reporter was unable to obtain any explanation [of the fees charged] from the health units visited.

By Marta Afonso

Source: Carta de Moçambique