AT a time Zimbabwe is grappling with an increased burden of drug and substance abuse, one of the country’s leading Medical Aid firms, CIMAS has added alcohol and drug rehabilitation to the list of conditions the medical aid covers.
By Michael Gwarisa
Zimbabwe has over the past few years recorded an increases in cases of alcohol and substance abuse and the situation has worsened during the COVID-19 era. The move by CIMAS will likely ease the burden through assisting members during their stay i rehab facilities.
Speaking on the development, CIMAS Healthcare Pvt Limited Group General Manager, Dr Sacrifice Chirisa said rehabilitation was the first step towards recovering from drug and substance addiction.
We have seen the consequences of drug abuse, how they it destroys futures, how it destroys destinies in both the young and the old. We need to put a stop to this. Also, as CIMAS, we are coming in with a solution. For the first time in Zimbabwe, a medical insurance or medical cover will be covering alcohol and drug rehabilitation as from July 1, 2022,” said Dr Chirisa.
Most young people suffering from alcohol ad drug addiction in Zimbabwe have been struggling to recover owing to a myriad of factors chief among them being failure to access rehabilitation services. Rehabilitation is the best environment to give the best chance if an addiction patient is to recover.
However, Dr Chirisa once noted through an op-ed that residential drug abuse treatment programmes were expensive, usually costing thousands of dollars and are not covered by medical insurance. Highlands Halfway House ( HHH) has grown to become a centre of excellence offering these services in Zimbabwe.
