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Sunday News Reporter
PRIVATE healthcare and health insurance provider Corporate 24 has injected a further $400 000 working capital for its Bulawayo operations bringing to more $4 million the amount the company has invested in the city since it opened its doors in January last year.
In an interview, Corporate 24 chief executive officer and founder Dr Mike Joka said the investment was a sign of confidence in Bulawayo despite some pessimistic sentiments from other businesspeople.
“Since inception a further $400 000 has been injected as working capital to shore up the Corporate 24 Hospital operations, putting the level of investment in excess of $4 million,” he said.
“Some politicians and businesspersons always lament the state of business activity in Matabeleland. Some call it a ghost city because many companies have closed but as a business we said no. Bulawayo is not dead. When we mooted the idea in 2013, some people even said we have miscalculated but we said no and that is when we availed $3,6 million to invest here,” he said.
Dr Joka added, “Many thought that the level of investment of $3,6 million did not match the volume of business that would come out of a city facing high levels of unemployment and company closures. Some thought the brand would not sustain the battle of social demands coming from entry into a new cultural market. Yet all said, the huge difference in the early success story of Corporate 24 has been service excellence.”
Since its inception, the institution has been one of the most sought after in the region.
It has a 30 bedded private hospital with state-of- the-art equipment and modern technologies.
Over the months it has also improved and now offers admissions in peadiatrics, maternity, medical, surgical, theatre, critical care units, radiology, dental and pharmacy services.
Dr Joka said the institution now employs more than 60 workers while more will be added as it expands.
“Corporate 24 has created over 60 jobs to various medical and other professional backgrounds to help ease up the unprecedented level of unemployment in Bulawayo and the country at large. Various companies in Bulawayo have already entered into service level agreements for the provision of products and services to Corporate 24.”
He said the level of growth and service delivery at Corporate 24 has seen the institution winning various awards in its short time in the city.
“In 2017, we were awarded the Megafest Best New Business in Bulawayo. This year we won the 2nd runner-up Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Matabaleland region Investor of the Year Award. Personally I was recently recognised as the Outstanding Hospital and Healthcare leader of the Year 2018 by Megafest. As an institution we are now engaging with the Bulawayo communities in view of implementing our corporate social investment programmes and we have already identified an orphanage which we are going to support. It’s a way of saying thank you Bulawayo,” he said.
Online Reporter