VxPoD (265) : PARKING CHARGES FOR HOSPITAL VISITS?

There are reports in the news that the Vietnamese public are outraged by a series of "unreasonable" fees being incurred for patients and visitors to public hospitals. These include charges for elevator use, air conditioning and toilets.

This made me think about additional charges made to patients and their families here in New Zealand in the form of car parking charges for hospital visits.

Are these a necessary part of urban life - after all few city locations are able to offer free parking? Or is this exploitation of the vulnerable?

Every hospital in the greater Auckland region charges its visitors. The NZ Herald reports: "Hospital carparks that charge a premium of up to $18 a day have been slammed as a rort by visitors who say there should be a discount because visiting a hospital is rarely enjoyable."

But given that many hospital car parks are not owned by the hospital and run by private parking companies, do these companies deserve to make a profit just as they would would any alternatively located site or does the fact that its patrons are suffering from ill health mean they should they be expected to bear some of the cost ?

Contributors to an online travel blog raise interesting issues in relation to transport to and from hospital with calls for more public transport to be used.

"What is it about driving cars that gives people the notion that they should get a free or at least very cheap car park wherever they go? An article in the Herald this morning on the cost of parking at hospitals seem to only lightly gloss over this fact and completely ignores that there are other ways of getting around other than the car."

"The Auckland Hospital has the central connector bus routes right by its front door while it is only 500m away from the Grafton station. Middlemore is similar and is right next to the Middlemore station."

While taking public transport is an option, it may be a difficult or impossible option for many to manage the 500m walk. Plus even with parking charges it may well be cheaper for a large family to travel by car than bus or train.

In England a similar debate has taken place. "Hospitals have been ordered to provide free parking for some patients and visitors under new NHS guidelines announced by the government.

Free or greatly reduced parking space will be given at English hospitals to "priority groups", including visitors with relatives who are seriously ill or are in hospital for a long time. Frequent visitors, people with disabilities and some hospital staff will also have reduced rates."

While some may argue for free car parking will that just create further parking problems with people staying all day and staff making use of public parking spaces? Should the hospitals offer further subsidies for parking or would that money be better spent on primary health care? Should the parking company give consideration to the situations its clients are facing?

What do you think?

Image:www.carefarnham.org