New fees imposed by Modilon General Hospital in Papua New Guinea's Madang Province are illegal.
The Post Courier newspaper reports the Secretary for Health, Pascoe Kase, as saying only the Minister of Health has the power to impose new hospital fees.
Mr Kase says his office is now pressing the hospital board to drop them.
Modillon had raised the fees citing increases in the cost of goods and services.
The hike came after the government announced that it would implement free medical care.
