A user's fee in the Khammouane provincial hospital, Lao PDR

ABSTRACT

To evaluate user fee the situation of, in 2001, at the Khammouane provincial hospital Lao PDR by a cross study. 109 in-patients and 204 out- patients were interviewed and, 20 groups of health staffs were discussed and the information (2001) on statistic, finances and exemptions in the hospital office were analyzed. The results showed that: With the minus government budget, the very low fees and many free services, the quality of the health service is not progressive and it is very difficult to apply the exemptions. The rate of using the patients' bed is very low because both the rich and poor patients don't like to take health care in this hospital. When the patients come to hospital, all of them prepare enough money to pay because they don't know who will be exemption. If they can't get enough money, they don't come yet. Both the patients and health staffs accepted the low user fees but the providers need to raise the quality of health services and apply better the exemptions. The very low fees and many free services in the hospital aren't the suitable solution to help the poor patients can take health care when the another sources can't supply sufficiently for these services.