NORTON legislator Honourable Temba Mliswa says there are some government officials who want to snap up the Premier Service Holdings Company which runs Zimbabwe’s largest subscribed medical aid company, the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS).
By Kudakwashe Pembere
This comes following claims that Government wanted to take over the company which Vice President and Health Minister Dr Constantine Chiwenga refuted.
Taking to Twitter, Hon. Mliswa urged unions must shootdown this move in an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to happen in the coming two weeks.
” I’m told that some govt officials want to grab PSMAS group and loot it the same way it was done some years ago but the unions who own the company must resist the move when they meet for the company’s AGM in the next two weeks. Govt is failing to run their hospitals like Pari.
“Yet they want to grab PSMAS which runs West Hospital and other hospitals across the country. Recently, VP Chiwenga said their aim was not to take PSMAS but why are other govt officials running amok wanting to grab it? Instead PSMAS must be fully supported and funded not grabbed,” he said.
Instead, the unions, Hon Mliswa advised, should demand that government remits its dues to PSMAS at market rates.
“I’m aware that when these vultures take over they will force govt to contribute market rates and the looting starts. So at the AGM, unions must resist the move to grab their company, instead demand that govt contributes market rates per member to ensure proper health care,” added the Norton parliamentarian.
He also said PSMAS has not been getting anything from Government since April.
“I’m aware that Govt has for the past 2 months not been remitting money to PSMAS and I’m told one of the aims is to create chaos and problems at the institution so that they disband Premier Service Holding Company (PSHC) at the AGM. These people can’t loot as long as PSHC is there!” he said.
“So they want to disband it and take over PSMAS and run. What PSMAS needsis govt support. Govt must pay for their members market rates so that it is well funded and they can be able to pay salaries and stock hospitals and pharmacies. Right now members pay Z$1,7 a month. This is less than US$2 a month contribution. How does PSMAS survive? Govt hospitals are incapacitated now they are incapacitating PSMAS. A visit to a doctor is minimum US$20 yet a member contributes less than US$2 a month. Infact on the black market it’s now less than US$1.”
