How COVID can cost you P300,000

A memo, apparently leaked, from one of the country’s top private hospitals recently detailed the cost of COVID-19 hospitalisation. In the memo, the hospital was instructing its staff that self-financing patients were required to pay deposits of P300,000 for COVID-19 hospitalisation. Patients on medical aid services were required to pay between P260,000 and nothing, with the amounts based on what cover they would receive from their medical aid providers.

Experts say while hospitalisation in government facilities, including the referral centre at Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital, appear ‘free’, the real cost to government is reflected by amounts such as the P300,000 that private facilities are demanding.