Faith-based and specialised hospitals have been hit hard in bid by the government to increase annual license renewal fees for the health establishments.
A notice by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe reveals that all hospitals would be required to pay a standard fee for registration and annual license renewals.
Should MPs approve the new dispensation, Level 6 national referral and teaching hospitals that offer specialised services will renew licenses at Sh300,000.
Faith-based hospitals within the category have been paying Sh100,000 to renew their licenses hence stand to pay Sh200,000 more should MPs approve the changes.
License renewal for Level 5 hospitals—secondary referral hospital and super specialised medical or dental centre—has increased to Sh90,000.
Hospitals at the referenced level that are run by faith-based organisations presently pay Sh50,000 to renew their licenses annually.
Hospitals offering comprehensive secondary referral services would have their licenses renewed at Sh200,000 annually regardless of the proprietors.
Kagwe said the fees, to be ratified by the National Assembly Delegated Legislation Committee, were arrived at after consultation with the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council.
The government has also reclassified hospitals where the proposed charges—registration and license renewal—would apply uniformly. Faith-based entities had a special package.
Hospitals have been categorised as Level 1 to include Community Health Unit, Level 2 to comprise of health clinic, dental clinic, dispensary, eye clinic, home-based care service, and funeral home.
Practitioners would be required to pay Sh15,000 to renew licenses for health clinic, Sh15,000 for dental clinic, Sh5,000 for dispensary, Sh15,000 for home-based care, and Sh20,000 for a funeral home.
Level 3 would be split into three categories where a comprehensive health clinic would fall under Level 3A whereas 3B would include general practice clinic, general dental clinic, and home-based care.
Level 3 comprehensive health centre would be charged Sh20,000 to renew their license, Sh15,000 for general practice clinic and dental clinic respectively, and Sh10,000 for home- based care.
License for a general medical centre would go for Sh20,000 whereas Level 4 primary care hospital would attract Sh80,000 license renewal fees.
Specialist facilities—categorised as Level 5B—would have their licenses renewed at Sh20,000 for specialised medical or dental, home-based care, and eye clinics.
On the other hand, the government has reduced registration fees for the various categories of healthcare service providers.
Should MPs back the bid by CS Kagwe, it would take Sh30,000 to register a specialised Level 6 hospital, the same amount for a national referral and teaching hospital.
Also to be charged Sh30,000 are super-specialised medical centre, secondary referral hospital, and comprehensive secondary referral hospital.
For Level 4 facilities, proprietors would be charged Sh30,000 to register a primary care hospital and Sh15,000 each for a specialist dental clinic, specialist home-based care, and eye clinic.
Level 3 facilities of the nature of a general medical centre and comprehensive health centre would be registered at Sh15,000 and the rest—general practice, dental, and home-based service— at Sh10,000.
A stand alone funeral home would be registered at Sh15,000, Sh10,000 for Level 2 home-based care, health clinic, dental, and eye clinic. A dispensary will be registered at Sh5,000.
The government has at the same time abolished fees in respect to inspection of new facility—presently Sh5,000 and Sh500,000 for inspection of medical or dental school.
Also abolished are fees in respect of application for annual continuous professional development currently charged at Sh40,000 and Sh100,000 for curriculum review.
Kenyans lodging a complaint against a medical practitioner would no longer be required to pay Sh2,000 to register the same.
Complainants would also get copy of the tribunal proceedings for free which is presently charged Sh200 per page, while medical board officials would not be paid to attend court.
Charges in respect to search fees of Sh3,000 and medical certification fees of Sh3,000 have been abolished as well as charges on books and guidelines.
The code of conduct is presently accessible at Sh2,500, Sh10,000 for doctor and institutions register, and Sh5,000 for the doctor’s fees guidelines.
-Edited by SKanyara
