Premier Service Medical Investments (PSMI) has closed down two of its flagship hospitals, Claybank (Gweru) and West End (Harare) after nurses went on strike over unpaid salaries.
In a statement, the PSMI Board said, “ The board acknowledges the fact that employees have gone for 3 months without salaries and how the unfortunate circumstances continue to affect the employees’ wellbeing and their capacity to report for work and effectively discharge their duties.
The challenges at PSMI have been in the public domain for the better part of the year and they mainly emanate from cash flow ceilings currently affecting the major client PSMAS,” reads the statement.
Nonetheless, the PSMI Board, PSMAS and the Government of Zimbabwe are working for hand in glove to address the cash flow challenges given their continued adverse effects on PSMI operations, staff welfare as well as civil servants’ ability to conveniently access quality healthcare services, as was the case before.
With regard to charging shortfalls, the intervention had been adopted as a short-term measure to mitigate the effects of the inadequate cash flows pending adequate capacitation of PSMI operations. Furthermore, shortfall collections were also being utilized to fund day-to-day business continuity requirements pending capacitation.
In addition, shortfalls had also been adopted in efforts to close the gap between the cost of service delivery and the obtaining medical aid tariffs which are unsustainable under the current hyperinflationary environment. However, the issue of shortfalls has since been overtaken by events following a Board resolution to remove the shortfalls for all services effective 1 October 2022, except in circumstances where a member would have exhausted their benefits. As a result, members can now conveniently access healthcare services at PSMI without the burden of paying shortfalls and co-payments. As part of resolving current operational challenges at PSMI, the Board and management express sincere gratitude to the Government of Zimbabwe for its recent intervention to capacitate PSMI with stocks.
PSMI pharmacies, renal clinics, optometry practices and clinical laboratories have since received part of the imported stocks to address the perennial stock out challenges that were affecting service delivery. Through Government efforts, PSMI is also currently working with NATPHARM in ensuring consistent availability of affordable medicines to the convenience of the PSMAS members and the nation at large. PSMI Board and Management further express its heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to all PSMI employees and their families for being steadfast and resilient during these difficult challenges, which are soon to pass,” said the board.
