The Gauteng provincial legislature's committee on scrutiny of subordinate legislation has approved regulations which gives effect to the annual adjustment fee of 4.9% for hospital tariffs. The adjusted fee is on services payable by patients at provincial hospitals, mortuaries and for ambulance services, according to a statement issued on behalf of the chair of the committee Dulton Adams, notes News24.
The amended regulations, presented by the Gauteng Health Department, will come into effect from 1 July.
“In approving these adjustments, the committee took into consideration the current unfavourable economic environment brought about by COVID-19 and its impact on ordinary citizens as well as the need for the provincial government to generate revenue in order to strengthen its capacity to provide much needed healthcare services,” Adams said.
He said the committee noted that the fee adjustments were necessary to ensure public hospitals had the necessary resources to function effectively. However, not all patients would be subjected to paying for these services, he said.
Patients exempt from paying for healthcare services include: Children under six; pregnant women; social pensioners; any persons receiving social grants; and formally unemployed people.
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