The government has vowed to take disciplinary measures against dishonest administrators in some public hospitals who continue to charge expectant mothers and children below the age of five for health services contrary to the country’s health service policy of 2007.
The government’s stand was issued yesterday in the parliament by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Regional Administration and Local Governments, Aggrey Mwanri.
Mwanri said the government adopted the policy to enable expecting mothers and children below the age of 5 access health services, however, some health centres have been defying the government’s directive.
Mwanri made the remark when responding to a question raised by Mkiwa Kimwanga (Special Seats, CUF) who wanted to know why the implementation of the directive is not practical in several health centres including the tendency of asking pregnant women to buy and bring their own delivery kits, arguing doing so is similar to charging them.
Mwanri said: “it is the government’s order. No public health institution is authorised to charge expecting mothers and children.”
Mwanri requested legislators to help the government identify dishonest health centres that have neglected to implement the government’s directive by continuing to charge pregnant women and children below 5 years of age.
He clarified that some of the health services that are supposed to be free of charge, include; vaccination, maternal education, maternal nutrition and safe delivery.
He further said the government in collaboration with development partners is conducting a research on obtaining delivery kits that contain; cord cutting and tying instruments, gloves, razors, cottons and neoprene, among others and distribute them to women at their first antenatal visits.
He said the aim is to enable pregnant women have the essential delivery tools as they prepare to give birth, “we spotted Dodoma and Costal region as pilot sites and we have progressed quite well so far.”
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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