Fees affect TB fight

By Daniel Chigundu

HEALTH and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora says user fees being demanded up-front by health institutions are drawing back the concerted effort being put in the fight against Tuberculosis (TB).

Dr Mombeshora said although the country has a policy on free medical service for TB patients, it was difficult to implement.

“One of the draw backs being faced in the fight against TB is that of user-fees although the disease is treated for free.

“What happens is that when a person visits a hospital or health institution it will not be known that they are suffering from TB so they are asked to pay and free treatment only commences as soon as they are diagnosed of the disease.

“So when one does not have that money even though they might be suffering from TB, they will fail to get medical assistance,” he said.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health and the National Aids Council indicate that TB is the biggest killer of people living with HIV and Aids in the country.

Zimbabwe has a free treatment policy on people above 65 years, children under 5 years, pregnant woman, HIV patients, TB patients and Malaria patients but most of them are being drawn back by the user fees required for consultations.

Dr Mombeshora said total eradication of user fees will only be possible if government secured more funds towards the program, adding that there were other diseases such as cancer that deserve to be treated for free but funding was standing in the way.

NAC’s audited financial results for 2011 show that over 50 percent of the country’s total interventions for HIV come from the Global Fund while Aids Levy, the Expanded Support Group (ESP), United States government and private players, account for the rest.