Illegal charges drive women from clinics

Unauthorised charges for antenatal services, which are supposed to be free in Enugu state, are discouraging women from attending health facilities for care, civil society organisations have lamented. They also want the government to drop restrictions that require pregnant women to show tax clearance certificate before accessing health services. Though health care and drugs for […]

Unauthorised charges for antenatal services, which are supposed to be free in Enugu state, are discouraging women from attending health facilities for care, civil society organisations have lamented.

They also want the government to drop restrictions that require pregnant women to show tax clearance certificate before accessing health services.

Though health care and drugs for pregnant women and children in Enugu is free, many women have been required to pay N100 and sometimes up to N500 to register for antenatal clinic, Daily Trust learnt, while others must show tax clearance prior to registration.

One woman who gave birth in a district hospital in Nsukka said she was made to pay for vitamin and folic acid tablets she was given during pregnancy.

 “The issue of N100 represents intermediary interest, because that is not paid into government coffers,” said Crownwell Chibuzor of the
group Youth Education on Human Rights and Civic Responsibility. “The vulnerable women who are pregnant cannot pay taxes and will not be
expected to have tax clearance.”

He told Daily Trust that tax clearance, which became a requirement long after the free health programme started, had stopped women from
going to hospital.

This came as the Partnership for Transforming Health Sector (PATHS2) last week mobilised thousands of Nsukka residents, mostly women, to get to them begin using clinics recently renovated and equipped in their communities.

“The moment government tells them the tax is now removed, they are going to embrace the facilities with speed,” said Chibuzor, though civil society groups canvass for community tax clearance to cover women who could be identified by their community leaders for purpose of getting health services.

In a swift reaction, Enugu state government opened a hotline where the public can report any health worker demanding payment for antenatal services, calling it “extortion and sabotage”.

“Those who are not supposed to pay are not to pay,” said Enugu’s health commissioner, Dr George Eze.

“We will provide phone numbers…If anyone demands payment, you call the ministry and the person will do the dance.”

He insisted that tax clearance is not required of pregnant women, but of their husbands or partners, or a certificate of tax exemption from the local government authorities.