Online Reporter
Catherine Murombedzi
The Ministry of Health and Child Care met with medical sector stakeholders in Harare this week to fix the laws on medical advertising.
The current rules come from a Statutory Instrument written in 2000.
A 2017 attempt to update the draft died before it could breathe. Now, the ministry in conjunction with the sector is trying again.
Mr Tonderai Kadzere, the director for Policy, led the deliberations through the draft from 2017.
He spoke and also read the opening remarks on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Dr Aspect Maunganidze.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care does not dictate; it listens to the voices of the people. We have reconvened to look at the laws governing medical, healthcare advertising. It is a crucial moment to align with reality,” said Mr Kadzere.
Zimbabwe, like every country, is operating in an era of rapid technological advancement, digital marketing, cross-border services and increasing consumer awareness.
“The absence of clear and harmonised standards can lead to inconsistency, regulatory gaps and potential harm to the same public we intend to protect,” he said.
“The goal is to gather expert input. The new SI must align with health legislation. It must protect the public from misleading claims while allowing practitioners to be truthful and responsible,” he said.
The meeting was attended by dentists, nurses, radiologists, environmental experts, health insurance policy leaders and representatives from health body councils. There were also experts in rehabilitation, the pharmaceutical sector, chiropractic and laboratory services.
Zimbabwe loses about US$400 million annually as citizens seek medical treatment abroad.
Because of the gagging order, patients fly to India and South Africa for procedures available at home. They go because they do not know what is available at home. The law forbids medical experts from advertising their services
One participant bemoaned the millions lost in foreign currency. She said patients seek services that are available locally, but stay in the dark because providers are gagged.
“Millions of dollars are lost as patients seek services that are available locally. They do not know because we are not allowed to inform them what we do.”
Dr Johannes Marisa, president of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe, said the regulations in the current state felt like a threat.
“The regulatory framework is punitive, rather than giving guidance. We need to be in tandem with the global trends and move with the times in terms of healthcare advertising,” said Prof Marisa.
Dr Vivek Solanki said foreign agents are everywhere, and the local sector lagged behind.
“Foreign agents come to Zimbabwe unhindered, advertising through conferences and offering doctors incentives for referrals. They give commissions and advertise freely with ‘before and after’ pictures and hospital lists. Because we are not allowed to do that, we are unable to compete or get known on the global field.
“We are now a global village; we have to be out there with the rest of the world. We have the experts and the tools to provide world-class care, but we need the shackles loosened to compete. We must be able to ethically advertise our services to Zimbabweans and people outside the country. This is where social media, websites, billboards, and podcasts come in. These marketing tools would enable Zimbabwe to compete on the world stage.
“Locals know more of India, South Africa and others as we lag behind. There is unfair practice where local doctors refer patients to India for a fee. I was approached to be an agency and set to get 20 percent of any referral. Some doctors are doing so. I turned it down and reported to the authorities. Nothing, as of now, has been done. They still hold advertising conferences in five-star hotels,” Dr Solanki said.
One speaker said Zimbabwe was lagging behind while bound by an archaic law.
A private practitioner spoke of the digital age. She said the draft ignored the reality of the modern age and pointed out that while local doctors were prohibited from posting images or testimonials, the public saw them every day from foreign hospitals.
