PATIENTS seeking medical services at the Manzini Government Hospital will now be required to pay consultation and service fees following the introduction of revenue collection at the facility, effective yesterday.
The development was announced by the ministry of health through its Communications Officer, Nsindiso Tsabedze, in a statement issued yesterday.
“The ministry of health wishes to notify members of the public and all stakeholders that a decision has been reached to introduce revenue collection at Manzini Government Hospital, effective from June 1, 2026,” Tsabedze said.
The move brings the hospital in line with other government health facilities across the country that charge user fees for services rendered.
Under the new arrangement, patients will pay a consultation fee of E10 during normal working hours on weekdays. Those seeking medical attention after working hours, on weekends, or during public holidays will be required to pay E20.
Tsabedze said all patients would be expected to produce a valid national identity document or an alternative form of identification to facilitate registration and fee processing.
He further clarified that the changes would also apply to patients accessing specialised services at the Smart Healthcare Outpatient Clinic, which is operated by the Taiwan Medical Mission within the hospital premises.
In addition to consultation fees, he said charges would now be levied for Radiology services, including X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds, as well as Laboratory services.
According to Tsabedze, payments for these services must be made at the designated revenue collection point before patients can proceed to the relevant departments for treatment or diagnostic procedures.
“The public is hereby duly notified,” Tsabedze stated.
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Meanwhile, the Manzini Government Hospital has been offering free medical services since its transformation from a tuberculosis (TB) hospital into a general government hospital.
Tsabedze explained that the introduction of user fees had been necessitated by the expansion of the hospital’s services and operations.
He said when the facility was refurbished and converted from a TB hospital into a fully-fledged government hospital, there was no legal instrument in place authorising the collection of revenue.
“Efforts have been ongoing to establish the necessary legal and administrative framework for revenue collection. Those processes have now been completed, paving the way for the implementation of the new fee structure,” he said.
Despite the changes, Tsabedze assured the public that elderly citizens aged 60 years and above would continue to receive medical services free of charge in line with the existing government policy.
