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Private hospitals offer better, cheaper deals

DUBAI - As per the new fee structure announced by the Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms) for maternity services, a visit to a specialist (gynaecologist) in any government hospital costs as much as it does in any privately-run medical establishment.

According to a comparison study carried out by Khaleej Times, the new maternity charges announced by the government, more or less, are equal to those levied by private hospitals. In certain cases, privately-run establishments offer a better deal by churning out comprehensive maternity and delivery packages.

According to the new Dohms charges, a first time visit to a specialist amounts to Dh200, while according to Dr Navid Qureshi of Al Zahra Hospital, Sharjah, the charges for a first-time consulation to a gynaecologist are Dh200 and the second visit charges come upto Dh175. Charges for a first-time visit to a specialist in Welcare Hospital are Dh30 for registration and Dh300 for consulation.

On the other hand, government hospitals, despite the fee hike, still charge lesser as room charges compared to private hospitals. For child birth and delivery services including admission, the charge in government hospitals is Dh2,000 and for Caesarean procedure the fee is now Dh3,000.

At Welcare Hospital, the normal delivery package plus two days post-natal care for a twin sharing room amounts to Dh6,500 while a single room is Dh7,000. For a C-section delivery plus five nights post-natal care in a twin-sharing room comes to Dh12,500 and for a single room to Dh14,500.

Meanwhile, for Al Zahra, the semi-private room charges are Dh3,000 and a private room comes upto Dh3,500. The maternity packages that private hospitals offer are with a wide range of other services while in government hospitals, separate charges are levied for every service offered.

When Khaleej Times spoke to some expectant mothers on the new fee structure for maternity services in government hospitals, the response was unwelcoming. Meena Sampath, who has just started her antenatals, said: "I feel that there is no use of queuing up for long hours to meet a doctor in a government hospital because they are now going to charge the same kind of fees as private doctors. It is better for me to visit a private doctor now because I won't have to wait long for my turn, tests and check-ups."

According to Faiza Haq, who is finishing her second trimester of pregnancy and preparing for delivery soon, the hike came as a shock because she had already fixed a budget for the delivery.

Indrasinghe, a working Sri Lankan national in the initial stages of pregnancy, said: "I cannot travel to my country for delivery because it means that my elder child misses out on his school. I might have my case done in a private hospital because I think the new charges levied by the government equal those of a private hospital."

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