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Payment of private hospital staff questioned

The debate regarding high private hospital costs continues with a Fin24 user - who wants to remain anonymous, but her name is known to Fin24 - claiming about staff not being well paid at one of these big private hospital groups.

The Fin24 user writes:

I was employed by one of these big private hospital groups and it is absolute rubbish that paying the employees have that big of an impact on the prices.

The employees of this big private hospital group are paid very poorly.

When the staff have the opportunity to take employment at another healthcare provider, they jump at it.

It is all about money and not the care of patients. You as a person or patient will be measured in rands and cents. ‎It's a business where profit is the only thing that counts.

I think they should review the costs. It is ridiculous what we pay for medical aid, because the hospitals raise their tariffs astronomically.

And it keeps getting more expensive, the benefits are becoming fewer and the service you supposedly pay for when receiving treatment is pathetic.

READ: Debate on high hospital costs heats up

No comment

Fin24 approached the big private hospital group in question about the Fin24 user's claim.

It said the anonymous comment by the Fin24 user is clearly from a disgruntled individual and goes against everything it stands for. The hospital group, therefore, declined to comment.

According to the latest annual report of the Council for Medical Schemes, of the R112.5bn total benefits paid to healthcare providers, medical schemes spent R39.7bn or 35.3% on hospital services (state hospitals included).

Expenditure on private hospitals decreased slightly in real terms by -0.8% to R39.4bn in 2013 compared to R39.7bn in 2012.

The year 2013 was the first year since 2005 in which there was no significant increase in expenditure paid to hospitals.

ALSO READ: Plea for more generous medical fee negotiations

- Fin24

* Do you work in a private hospital? Do you agree with this Fin24 user's view or not? Send us your comment.

Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.

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