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The Zimbabwe Medical Association has called for a forensic audit of Premier Service Medical Aid Society following revelations that its top 12 managers were gobbling at least US$1 million a month in basic salaries. In a statement, ZiMA president Dr Enock Tatira challenged the Ministry of Health and Child Care to treat the matter with urgency to restore sanity in the health sector.
“We therefore implore the ministry as the regulator to take swift and decisive action in this matter. As a stakeholder we expect thorough and speedy investigation of the matter at hand, including a forensic audit,” Dr Tatira said.
He said Government should also look at other issues relating to the conduct of medical aid societies and service provision as a whole.
“This hopefully will restore consumer confidence, viability of the sector and promote Zimbabwe as a safe and healthy destination.”
A majority of patients on medical aid are required to make either co-payments or pay shortfalls by service providers after their societies fail to meet their full medical bills.
Other providers had gone to the extent of denying treatment to patients on certain medical aid societies claiming that the societies did not pay their dues on time.
Dr Tatira said with regards to PSMAS, it owed service providers claims that are in excess of six months.
“Due to the PSMAS debt, often members, most of whom are civil servants earning wages below the Poverty Datum Line, have been left destitute and unable to access critical medical services,” he said.
After the PSMAS expose, the society was forced to axe group chief executive Dr Cuthbert Dube and board chairperson, Mrs Meisie Namasasu.
Medical aid societies administer public funds. They operate as non-profit making entities and are governed under the Medical Services Regulations (Statutory Instrument S1330 of 2000).
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