NBSZ admits to name change

Paidamwoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
The National Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has admitted carrying the title private limited on its name appearing on the CR14 form filed in 2013, but said it was ”purely a mistake”, which they have started correcting. In an interview with The Herald yesterday to get an insight into what was transpiring within the country’s sole blood transfusion company, NBSZ chief executive officer Ms Lucy Marowa said they had since advised board members to submit their updated personal details – a process that will see the company filing another CR 14 with the correct title. “Our status has never changed from a not-for-profit organisation and what is appearing on that CR 14 form is actually a mistake, which we all didn’t know until recently,” said Ms Marowa.

She said the submissions were made by a consultant – an S Chivasa, whose name is appearing on the form – since the organisation did not have a company secretary. “We do not have a company secretary, we outsource when need be or we use any of our employees who might have knowledge in legal issues,” said Ms Marowa.

She said issues of corporate governance were also picked at the last annual general meeting and there were already proposals waiting members’ (who are owners of the organisation) adoption to address them. Some of the issues relating to corporate governance include tenure of board members, need for skills mix within the board and reducing the number of board members from the current 17 to between seven and nine non executive board members.

Ms Marowa said the next NBSZ AGM was expected before the end of August 2018. Responding to a question on exporting blood, Ms Marowa said internationally, it was not allowed to export whole blood. “What we export is excess and unusable plasma and we export it to manufacturers of diagnostic reagents,” she said. “We realise not more than $150 000 a year from that.”

Ms Marowa said plasma becomes unusable if is not used within six hours of collection, but can still be used in making reagents. “If we do not export it, the other option would be to incinerate it because it cannot be used, but we also incinerate at a cost of at least $10 a bag,” she said.

The NBSZ came under fire from its members after noting several issues of corporate governance and alleged change in name of the organisation, raising fears that the longest serving members could have been realising personal benefits.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa yesterday said the developments at the NBSZ were disturbing and Government was working flat out to ”put order” at the company as a matter of urgency.

Dr Parirenyatwa said although NBSZ was a private voluntary organisation, it was the only company offering the nation with that kind of a strategic service – that of providing blood – hence Government’s intervention.

“We are very concerned with the issues that are emanating from the NBSZ and we are definitely going to take action looking at the various reports that have come to us,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

He said the process of ”restoring order” had already started, with Government making consultations with different stakeholders on the disturbances. “We are treating the issue as urgent and I am actually in a meeting on that issue right now,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

“NBSZ is of strategic importance in health delivery system and we are looking at the public interest.” NBSZ stands accused of unfair labour practice where it recently retired all employees who were above 65 years, but kept the medical director Dr Jean Emmanuel, who is 75 years.

Separate interviews by The Herald with former and current board members of NBSZ with regards to the organisation’s operations showed that issues of corporate governance had always been of concern. Mr Trust Chikohora is one of the members who resigned from the board about four years ago after serving for nearly one year.

He said he exited the board at his own will, citing issues of corporate governance and failure by Government to adequately assist the company. “Then, I felt nothing was going to change no matter how much I raised concern over certain issues,” said Mr Chikohora.

He declined to reveal details of the corporate governance issues he raised with the board at that time, citing confidentiality. National Aids Council finance director Mr Albert Manenji, who once sat on the board, confirmed that the Enrst and Young audit report was presented and deliberated in board meetings.

This is contrary to earlier remarks by board chairman Justice Smith that he had never seen the report.