adminHarare Bureau
THE Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) has appointed its head of managed care Dr Nicholas Munyonga as the acting managing director following the suspension of Henry Mandishona for suspected mismanagement. Although the society’s board chairperson, Jeremiah Bvirindi, could not give details on how long investigations into Mandishona’s allegations of misconduct are likely to take, an internal memo sent to all staff members by the company secretary and legal advisor Cosmas Mukwesha showed that Dr Munyonga has since been appointed as acting managing director.
Problems at PSMAS started when an obscene salary structure which saw group chief executive officer Cuthbert Dube earning $500,000 every month was exposed. His top executives were also earning mega salaries averaging $60,000 a month, excluding benefits.
Despite these huge salaries and benefits, PSMAS failed to pay service providers, resulting in its members failing to access healthcare when they needed it most. Following the exposé, Dube and the society’s board chairman Meisie Makelotso Namasasu were forced to step down.
Subsequently, the whole board of directors resigned, leaving the government with no option but to appoint an interim management to bring back normalcy at the society. The interim manager, Dr Gibson Mhlanga, a principal director in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, left after his term of office expired in July, paving way for the new board now chaired by Bvirindi.
Online Reporter