.gif)
Some officials at Fiji’s public hospitals are reported to be charging fees on certain patients illegally, according to the Ministry of Health.
Ministry of Health spokesman Iliesa Tora, in a statement, said some members of the public have been charged for specialist consultation during normal working hours.
“Only those specialists who have been authorized by the Ministry of Health can charge a consultation fee after normal working hours,” said Tora.
“We advise members of the public to report any such case where our staff is charging instant reporting fee.
“There is no such fee and staff who are caught will be disciplined accordingly. This is a serious matter and one that the Ministry will not condone.”
Apparently, some patients have reported being charged instant report fees with additional receipt without Tax Invoice Numbers.
Tora explains that under the Public Hospital and Dispensaries Act, only the following categories of services have fees charged:
* Inpatients of paying wards at the hospitals
* Public ward patients referred by General Practitioners or Private doctors
* Patients seen in General and Special Outpatients refereed by General Practitioners or Private Doctors
