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Health disaster as PSMI closes 77% units

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Health disaster as PSMI closes 77% units

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MIRROR REPORTER

MASVINGO – Premier Services Medical Investments (PSMI) is just as good as dead.

On Friday, Acting Managing Director Dr Margaret Maulana, wrote a memo to all staff members acknowledging and accepting the workers’ declaration of incapacitation.

She said that 77% of the organisation’s units including clinics, hospitals and pharmacies are closed resulting in just 10% capacity utilisation.

This is a disaster for the country’s health system as PSMI services all Government employees and their dependents. None of these can access medical service as of now.

Efforts to get a comment from Dr Maulana were futile.

Dr Maulana revealed that PSMI, the biggest medical services provider in the country has not been able to pay workers for the last four months since July 2022. She said that the closed units also extend to radiology units, laboratories and ambulance services.

She said frantic efforts are being made with stakeholders to ensure the resolution of the problem. PSMI has had problems before but nothing of this magnitude.

PSMI problems have largely been attributed to corruption by Government officials and the ruling party which at the time of the elections diverts funds to campaigning. Top civil servants who are board members have been siphoning millions out of Government linked medical entities but none has ever been arrested.

A snap survey of the closures for example is that 21 clinics are closed throughout the country while only eight are still open; 24 pharmacies have been closed and only one remains open; 17 radiology units are shut down while only two remain operational and all 13 rehab clinics are now shut down.

She said that workers will remain at home until the stakeholders resolve the matter.

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