KDU Hospital charges Rs.350 per day for staying with a patient

2 November 2022 04:12 am - 11 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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In a bid to cover losses, Kotelawala Defence University (UHKDU) Hospital has recently started charging Rs. 350 per day from family and friends who stay beside the patients.

Confirming the claim, the UHKDU Director – Medical Supplies Brig. Dr. Saman Thilakarathne said the hospital management recently decided to introduce the new payment system to cover maintenance costs due to the facility’s present financial difficulties.

This news comes at a time when talks about a 25–30% payment programme in selected government hospitals are underway and also the increasing cost of living and dearth of medicine are pushing an increasing number of Sri Lankans to forgo medical treatments.

The Rs. 350 fee does not include meals, as Brig. Dr. Thilakarathne explained. “When family members stay with patients, they use water and electricity. We charge this amount to cover those costs,” Dr. Thilakarathne said.

The 814-bed hospital was built with ultramodern facilities to facilitate clinical training for the students of KDU on a whopping loan of Rs. 3,165.82 mn and a loan of US $ 177.33 mn from the National Savings Bank on treasury guarantees.

According to a source at the UHKDU, the hospital has failed to pay its electricity bill on time and has an outstanding electricity bill of Rs. 338 million. The monthly electricity bill of the hospital, which was around Rs.19 mn, is now around Rs.30 mn after the increase in electricity levies. The source also revealed that medical officers have not been paid for overtime.

"Only the medicine is provided by the Health Ministry. All the funds come from the Ministry of Defence. The Ministry of Finance encouraged us to generate more income and the hospital management encouraged us to charge more from the patients, "the source further said.

The hospital, located in Werahara on 15-acre land, is not limited to medical care. It has an art auditorium for conferences and a four-acre rooftop garden. A financial audit done on KDU by the National Audit Office (NAO) in 2020 revealed that the Return on Equity Ratio, which was negative at 4.47 in the year 2019, continued to decline to negative at 5.86 in 2020. The debt to equity ratio was 3.83: 1 in the year 2019 and this high gearing condition had increased to 4.47: 1 in the year 2020. The audit report also revealed that the bed turnover rate of the hospital was considerably low and the productivity of hospital beds remained low. (Piyumi Fonseka)

Comments - 11

citien Wednesday, 02 November 2022 07:03 AM

what a joke man if you guys cant run the country why dont they just leave assholes

Dee Wednesday, 02 November 2022 07:56 AM

Defence budget.. so what's the problem? Taxpayers money anyway. Why not give meals FOC to those who stay with patients and invite their entire family as well? Make it an election promise, free food and lodging for all those who stay with patients at KDU hospital. Victory for sure. Don't worry about the funds, taxpayer can pay!

Dam Wednesday, 02 November 2022 08:09 AM

Before AI teach sex education - social studies Country's system lost priorities

sam Wednesday, 02 November 2022 08:12 AM

Very soon this govt will charge for all facilities provided using public funds

Sokrates Wednesday, 02 November 2022 08:31 AM

Why do family members have to be with the patient at all? Because the nurses are too lazy to do their job properly. Instead of working, the nurses are constantly busy with their mobile phones. Family members are called upon to do helper work in the hospitals. An intolerable situation. It is also an intolerable situation for other patients when the mass wards are overcrowded not only with patients but also with their family members. No outsiders should be allowed in the wards except during visiting hours.

Sisira Wednesday, 02 November 2022 10:05 AM

@Socrates, rubbish coming from anti Srilankan madman “ psycho” DBS Jeyaraj using alias.

Idiot Wednesday, 02 November 2022 10:06 AM

Timely decision. Comment section is disgusting. People are still expecting government to do everything for free even amidst a crisis. If an increase as little as 350RS can cover their losses, why shouldn't they?

Sokrates Wednesday, 02 November 2022 10:49 AM

@ Sisira. You really need psychiatric help. You are a pitiable person who believes in conspiracies of an obscure DBS Jeyaraj, a man I never heard. So he can't be important. What did this man has been done to you? Has he ever peed in your front yard? As I can see from the name the man is a Tamil. Are you a fanatical Sinhala racist and extremist? Do you have such low intelligence that you believe in a Tamil conspiracy? For me you are a miserable failure and a loser who tries to compensate for his failed life with insane comments.

Sisira Wednesday, 02 November 2022 11:27 AM

@Sokrates, when the anti Sri Lankan Indian paid madman “psycho” D B S Jeyaraj says that “he has never heard of D B S Jeyaraj “ when in fact every reader of DM knows that D B S Jeyaraj writes frequent articles in the daily mirror, the foolish “psycho” is giving away the game.

GHT Wednesday, 02 November 2022 11:48 AM

Hope, other hospitals will follow the practice and the process also, undoubtedly, seems a potentially toward privatization the state health, education etc., under IMF STRICT conditions.

Action for freedom Wednesday, 02 November 2022 09:22 PM

This at least is a hospital, it helps in some way.The payments to Military is 100% loss for the nation. Better cut the military by 1/3 and there will be lots of funds for more worthy activities.

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KDU Hospital charges Rs.350 per day for staying with a patient

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