KARACHI: In a move that would hurt a large number of the poor and low-income people of the metropolis, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation is all set to increase charges of its various medical services being offered at its more than 250 health facilities across the city, it emerged on Tuesday.

According to sources, the KMC is currently getting feedback from the quarters concerned over its ‘money-making scheme’ before enforcing the new rates.

The proposed exorbitant increase of the medical charges would affect an overwhelming majority of low-income people who visit the KMC-run health facilities to see a doctor or for treatment of their ailments.

According to an official document, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the charges for a private room would be increased from existing Rs5 per day to Rs300 per day — 6,000 per cent or 60 times higher than the existing charges.

The diet charges for patients which at present is Rs5 would be increased to Rs150 — 3,000 per cent or 30 times higher than the exiting rate.

The one-time admission fee for a private room in a KMC-run hospital is also going to increase from existing Rs10 to Rs300 — 30 times higher than the existing rates.

There are numerous facilities whose rates had been raised by 1,000 per cent or by 10 times.

Citing an example, the sources said that there was a propose to increase the anaesthesia charges from existing Rs100 to Rs1,000.

They said that the minimum increase proposed by the KMC for its more than 250 health facilities was 100pc.

Responding to Dawn queries, KMC health director Dr Salma Kauser said that the health facilities being operated by the civic agency were facing a severe financial crunch and it was becoming more and more difficult to provide adequate medical facilities to the people. So it had been decided to slightly revise the charges of the medical facilities to create some breathing space so that the deserving people received quality healthcare at an affordable rate, she added.

She said that the previous revision in the charges of the KMC medical facilities was done several years ago and since then the expenses had increased manifolds while the rates / charges had remained unchanged.

She said these rates were not yet implemented, as it was just a proposal. Currently, feedback from stakeholders was being sought and further steps would be taken on the basis of that feedback, she said, adding that after legal formalities the proposed charges would be enforced after required official approval.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2014