title: Day hospital fees and accessibility of essential health services.
abstract: Day hospital fee increases in April 1984 were followed by a fall in hypertensive, diabetic and asthmatic patients' attendances at the Bishop Lavis Day Hospital. The majority of the patients attending less often for treatment were not receiving medical care elsewhere, which resulted in a large number of hospital admissions with increased financial and long-term health costs for the patients. Increases in patient fees at the day hospitals have been far in excess of the inflation rate over the past 10 years, and a review of the tariff structure is required to bring fees to levels which are affordable by low-income patients.
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy; D005251:Fees, Medical; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010343:Patient Admission; D013019:South Africa; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013383:Suburban Population