Govt approves fee structure for surgical treatment

Fiji’s Government has approved the fee structure for super specialised treatment to be provided by Sahyadri Specialty Pacific Hospitals Limited (SSPHL).

SSPHL is a subsidiary of Sahyadri Hospitals which the largest chain of hospitals in Maharashtra, India.

Cabinet based its decision on a submission by the Minister for Heath, Dr Neil Sharma.

Fiji orthopaedics will work with an advanced surgical team from SSPHL to commence the process of screening patients who require surgery.

Dr Sharma said the fee structure is categorised and structured rationally to ensure that an equitable fee is levied taking into account the purchasing power of individuals.

He said that apart from the standard fee applied to non-insured residents, a top up margin of 22 percent and 25 percent will be applied to insured residents and non-residents respectively.
 
He assured that Government will continue assisting the poor and disadvantaged and also non-insured residents who are unable to fully meet treatment costs through various cost subsidy options.

He said that the ministry’s existing overseas treatment vetting system will be used to screen and choose patients who are economically underprivileged and who will be assisted.

Dr Sharma further said that for each treatment undertaken, SSPHL will return a certain sum of money towards Ministry of Health’s continuous effort of upgrading equipment’s, infrastructure and human resources capacity building programs in the areas of Neurology, Advanced Orthopaedics and Cardiac.

The Government, through the Minister of Health, entered into a 5-year Memorandum of Agreement with SSPHL on July, 2012, to facilitate the provision of super specialised care in the areas of Cardiac, Advanced Orthopedics and Neurology, which are currently unavailable in Fiji.

By Ropate Valemei