By Chisomo Phiri
Kamuzu Central Hospital(KCH) has on Wednesday announced hiking its bypass fee from K1, 500 to K10, 000 effective August 1, 2023 .
Bypass fee is the fee that patients pay when they go to the referral hospital without being sent, as a referral case, by a health centre they initially visited.
In a statement, KCH Director Dr.Jonathan Ngoma said most patients go to the referral hospital without referral letters contrary to what is expected hence the fee hike.
He warned that those without referral letters and are unable to pay the new bypass fee will be sent back to the nearest health centres.
According to Ngoma, the main reason to raise the bypass fee is to reduce congestion at the central hospital and encourage patients to seek treatment at their respective health centres.
“It has been noted that people come straight to this facility, bypassing the health facilities close to them.
“This affects the ability of KCH to provide its services in an effective and efficient manner. KCH is only supposed to handle cases which have been attended to at the lower levels,” he said.
But in an interview with local media, Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) Executive Director George Jobe has condemned the adjustment of the bypass fees, saying it is violating access to free and quality health services.
Jobe has however, asked the government to improve primary health care in the cities as some places do not have health centres despite having large populations.
 has on Wednesday announced hiking its bypass fee from K1, 500 to K10, 000 effective August 1, 2023 . Bypass fee is the fee…){kind=link}