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Paidamoyo Chipunza and David Shumba
PREMIER Services Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) is yet to conduct a forensic audit, five months after the ouster of its former group chief executive officer Dr Cuthbert Dube on allegations of maladministration.PSMAS interim manager Dr Gibson Mhlanga said they were still putting in place necessary requirements to conduct the forensic audit.
“We are putting in place necessary requirements for this exercise and once these are in place, the exercise will begin,” said Dr Mhlanga.
The forensic audit is expected to expose any illegal activities that could have taken place during Dr Dube’s tenure as PSMAS group chief executive officer.”
Dr Mhlanga said the interim management was already acquainting itself with the way PSMAS had been running and discovering possible ways of improvement before the forensic audit is conducted.
He said so far he had managed to foster unity among PSMAS staff at different levels and restoring confidence among stakeholders.
Dr Mhlanga said of late, there had been a wider engagement with stakeholders on the direction they would like PSMAS to take.
“PSMAS continues to put in place systems that will ensure that the organisation is more efficient, more in tune with our core values and more aligned to the needs of the members and stakeholders than ever before,” said Dr Mhlanga.
He acknowledged the fact that PSMAS was still struggling to pay service providers on time.
“PSMAS was not in a good space, that is true,” said Dr Mhlanga.
“We still remain quite some distance from where we want to be and where we must be. But one thing for sure is that we are no longer in the same place that we were six months ago.”
Dr Mhlanga said the society was managing to pay some of its dues and making arrangements where they were unable to pay.
“We are confident that we will restore PSMAS to its position as a reliable, responsible society that lives up to the expectations of its members, service providers and all stakeholders,” he said.
Dr Mhlanga paid tribute to all PSMAS members for entrusting him to lead the society into a better entity and service providers for continuing to attend to patients on the society’s schemes.
Dr Mhlanga was endorsed as PSMAS interim manager in June with his responsibilities including instigating the process of a forensic audit, re-looking into the societies’ remuneration structure, reviewing the society’s financial position, its constitution and its relationship with Premier Service Medical Investments within a period of one year.
derick.khumalo