Emergency care in public hospitals will be free
Emergency care in public hospitals will now be free according to the statements of the President of the Republic, Andry Rajoelina, yesterday on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new emergency service of the military hospital (HOMI) in Soavinandriana, within the framework of the celebration of the 130 years of this establishment.
To be able to offer this free emergency care to the population, the State undertakes to allocate a special budget, Andry Rajoelina announced that the signing of the commitment of the Malagasy State for the Health Emergency Fund will will do this Friday at Iavoloha State Palace. This free will be applicable to all social categories but not only for the most vulnerable segments of the population.
“Patients who come to the emergency room, especially those in need of urgent care, must be taken care of immediately... this is about saving lives. Patients should not wait for hours to be taken care of,” Andry Rajoelina also said in his speech. Indeed, it is not uncommon to wait hours in the emergency services given that it is necessary to buy more before any intervention, consumables and drugs.
If the initiative is commendable, it remains a real challenge for public hospitals. Indeed, certain dysfunctions of the public hospital system must above all be reviewed. Currently, the financing and administrative system at the level of public hospitals obliges public establishments to generate revenue with profit, limiting any notion of free care. Admittedly, some medical acts remain free, but the patient must pay for the drugs and consumables necessary for their treatment and hospitalization. A large majority of patients do not belong to any social security system in the country.
Free healthcare has already been applied by the government in the treatment of patients with Covid-19. It will then have to expand thanks to this new initiative and new provision taken and announced by the Head of State.
