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Hospitals hike prices as ministry dithers over fee structure
  • | Lao Dong, dtinews | May 26, 2011 10:53 AM

Many hospitals have increased their treatment fees, despite the Ministry of Health currently reviewing a new price framework for 350 healthcare services and having issued no fee guidelines in the last seventeen years.

Hospitals have raised fees well beyond permitted levels

Hospitals race to hike fees

Paediatrics Hospital No. 2 is currently charging medical check-up fees of between VND30,000 (USD1.44) and VND60,000 (USD2.89) per person, while Gia Dinh People’s Hospital charges fees of VND20,000 (USD0.96).

These increases break regulations set in 1995, which stipulated that examination fees range should from VND2,500 (USD0.92) and VND5,000 (USD0.24) per person.

Ho Chi Minh City-based private medical centres such as Hoan My, Medic Hoa Hao and Van Hanh have raised the prices of many of their services since May 1, with prices increasing from between 5-29%. Hospital bed charges have increased from between VND150,000 (USD7.24) and VND290,000 (USD14) per person a night.

The fees for a Hepatitis-B test at Bach Mai Hospital stands at VND70,000 (USD3.38) and can even reach VND100,000-VND120,000 (USD4.83-USD5.79) at private hospitals such as Medlatec Hospital and Tri Duc General Hospital.

Odonto-Maxillo-Facial Hospital charges VND150,000 (USD7.24) for extracting a molar tooth compared to the regulated fee of just VND8,000 (USD0.38).

Lao Dong newspaper quoted Hanoi resident Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen as saying that she had to pay VND400,000 (USD19.32) for radiography of her uterus and ovaries at Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital, yet the maxim regulated price is just VND30,000 (USD1.44).

Tran Van Anh complained that she even had to pay up to VND700,000 (USD33.8) for the same service at Tri Duc General Hospital.

New regulations needed

On May 5, the Ho Chi Minh City Health Department asked local hospitals and medical service providers to immediately freeze any increase in charges until the Ministry of Health had officially announced a decision on new health care service prices.

However, Le Minh Hai from the department said private hospitals and clinics could adjust medical service fees because the ministry’s regulation does not relate to private health practices. Therefore, private hospitals often set their own fees and then later informed authorities of their price structuring. The only proviso was that the fees be clearly stated to patients in advance to payment.

While hospitals have flaunted the ministry’s 17 year-old price regulations, the quality of health care services remains a matter of public concern, with five to seven patients sometimes having to share beds and patients consigned to long waits for health checks.

 

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