Online Reporter
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) held its annual general meeting (AGM) in Harare last week after going for years without convening the statutory meeting.
Last week’s meeting was widely welcomed, especially after years of administrative turbulence. Addressing the gathering, PSMAS board chairperson Mr Nobert Machinjike reassured members, healthcare providers, regulators and other stakeholders of the concrete steps being taken to rebuild trust and restore operational efficiency.
He also said the board was seized with the implementation of forensic audit recommendations covering the period 2022 to 2024.
“This is non-negotiable for rebuilding the trust of our members, providers and regulators,” he said.
PSMAS will soon undergo a restructuring exercise designed to right-size the society to bring administration costs down to sustainable levels.
“These are difficult but necessary decisions, and we are taking them with care for our staff and discipline for our members.”
Mr Machinjike said the claims processing capacity had more than doubled compared with previous years, while there is now an expanded network of service providers from which PSMAS members can now access healthcare. He, however, faced regret over disruptions that saw members facing delays in accessing healthcare.
“Our priority is to ensure shorter claims turnaround times, greater provider availability, improved access to medicines and a more responsive service platform,” he said.
PSMAS has since appointed a substantive chief executive officer, who is expected to start work on September 1 this year.
The appointment is expected to provide strategic continuity and strengthen executive leadership as PSMAS consolidates its recovery.
It is believed that the ongoing reforms could help the medical aid society deliver on its core mandate of providing reliable healthcare security to members.
