In spite of the free health care services provided by community-based health facilities and community-based urban health training centers, some users are victims of fraud for services that are in principle free of charge. Les ESCOM tirent la sonnette d’alarme !
Facing the press, Clément OUATTARA, president of the confederation of community-based health care establishments (ESCOM) said:
“C’est le racket au niveau des structures sanitaires en général en Côte d’Ivoire et particulièrement dans les ESCOMs à Abidjan que nous dénonçons. What is free must be free. We remind users that all ESCOM services are not free of charge. L’Etat a signifié ce qui est gratuit dans le décret N°2019-498 du 12 juin 2019. Free medicines in hospitals are deposited by the New Public Health Pharmacy for free distribution.”
“Since the advent of total gratuity and, subsequently, of white gratuity, our structures are very frequent. In the meantime, the drop in the rate of infant mortality rate, the drop in the rate of home delivery. Registration is free and children can stay for free. The only thing that is currently holding back the populations are the racks,” deplored President Clément Ouattara.
For this reason, it is planned to set up committees whose members will inform users about free services, collect complaints and resolve them on the spot. They will be at the hospitals to encourage consumers who are victims of the racket to report their crimes and will help them to do so. The committees shall be installed in each community-based establishment in addition to a green number, the 143 placed in service for this purpose.
