A section of Ugandans are worried about the state of health affairs after a luxurious private hospital, Kampala Hospital released a notice demanding a deposit of over Shs1m before admitting a patient.
According to a widely circulated notice pinned at the Kololo-based Hospital, Inpatients will be required to cough a Shs1m deposit before admission while those whose cases require operations will need to have paid at 80% of the total estimated bill before entering theater.
In addition, a deposit of Shs3million will be required of every patient whose condition requires admission into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a Shs2million deposit will be required of patients before admission into the High Dependency Unit (HDU).
Ugandans who already decry the “deplorable” state of services in public hospitals now have turned on private facilities like Kampala Hospitals whose costs, they say are exploitative.
What angered Ugandans, even more, is the clause that reads that “unpaid interim bill should not exceed Shs1.5 million for inpatients, Shs700,000 and Shs2.5 million for ICU/HDU patients.”
Upon failure to meet failure to meet any of the stipulated procedures, the Hospital says patients will be “transferred” to any other hospital of their choice.
Kampala Hospital’s notice which takes immediate effect comes at a time when the country is fighting to control the Ebola Virus that has already claimed three lives in the Western Uganda district of Kasese.