Komfo Anokye Hospital withdraws development levy

The management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has been forced to withdraw the payment of special levy dubbed “development levy”, which it imposed on patients accessing health care at the hospital.

In patients were paying GH¢10 for any single visit to the hospital while out patients paid GH¢2.

The hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Kwame Frimpong, told the Daily Graphic that the withdrawal was the result of various consultations management made with stakeholders.

However, it has been gathered from authentic sources that the Ministry of Health compelled the management to withdraw the levies with immediate effect.

The ministry’s directive followed public outcry over the payments.

KATH Chief Executive, Prof. Ohene Adjei, in a memo dated June 29, 2012 directed that the levies should be charged alongside other approved charges.

The special fees, which the authorities described as development levy was implemented beginning this month.

In the words of management, monies accruing to the levies were to be used to undertake minor repairs at the hospital and motivate staff as welll.

The implementation of the levy elicited sharp reactions from patients and other members of the public who described it a fleece.

On some occasions, patients became confrontational as staff collected the levies from them.

Initially the authorities tried to justify the levies but have now indicated that the levies had been suspended.

Source: Daily Graphic