News / Local
Joshua Nkomo hospital doctors to be evicted
14 Jul 2014 at 09:35hrs | Views
PARLIAMENT has called for the eviction of a team of doctors claiming ownership of the Ekusileni Medical Centre in Bulawayo saying they have failed to open the institution.
Ekusileni, built of over a decade ago, is a brainchild of late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo who wanted to ensure that Zimbabweans had access to specialist medical facilities.
It was constructed through a partnership between the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and doctors led by Doubt Dube known as the Zimbabwe Health Care Trust (ZHCT).
NSSA claims full control of the hospital after allegedly investing Z$339 930 123, which was the total cost of construction after the ZHCT failed to meet its obligations.
The ZCHT was supposed to contribute Z$128 million and the Mining Industry Pension Fund (MIPF) Z$70 million respectively with NSSA paying the remainder under a deal signed by the three.
The ZCHT and MIPF failed to pay up leading to NSSA funding the total cost of the project and claiming ownership of the medical centre.
However, the ZCHT also claim ownership of the hospital citing a signed document towards joint ownership.
Now a report by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PPAC) on the examination of NSSA accounts for the years ending December 31 2011 and December 2012 presented last week by former Labour minister Paurina Mpariwa, NSSA should not have made the investment.
The committee said the medical centre should also be put to tender to ensure NSSA realises returns from its investments.
"The medical centre should be put to tender to pave way for players with capacity to operationalise it and ensure that NSSA realises returns from the investment," reads the recommendations of the PPAC.
"In the committee's view, NSSA made an unwise decision by investing into the construction of the medical centre where no title deeds had been provided.
"However, the fact that Dr Dube and his team failed to meet the obligations under the agreement renders such an agreement immaterial.
"On the basis of the facts presented, the Ekusileni Medical Centre belongs to NSSA.
"Dr Dube and his team should vacate the building and pave way for other players with capacity.
"The wrangle had raged on for a considerable period of time and as a result, there is a risk that the building might be deteriorating without being put to good use."
Ekusileni is a 369-bed hospital facility.
The hospital briefly opened in 2004, but was promptly closed after it was discovered that equipment worth millions of dollars acquired by the ZCHT, after renting the institution from NSSA, was obsolete.
The ZCHT owes NSSA $4,2 million in rental arrears.
Early this year, government ministers promised that the hospital would reopen its doors soon.
Ekusileni, built of over a decade ago, is a brainchild of late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo who wanted to ensure that Zimbabweans had access to specialist medical facilities.
It was constructed through a partnership between the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and doctors led by Doubt Dube known as the Zimbabwe Health Care Trust (ZHCT).
NSSA claims full control of the hospital after allegedly investing Z$339 930 123, which was the total cost of construction after the ZHCT failed to meet its obligations.
The ZCHT was supposed to contribute Z$128 million and the Mining Industry Pension Fund (MIPF) Z$70 million respectively with NSSA paying the remainder under a deal signed by the three.
The ZCHT and MIPF failed to pay up leading to NSSA funding the total cost of the project and claiming ownership of the medical centre.
However, the ZCHT also claim ownership of the hospital citing a signed document towards joint ownership.
Now a report by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PPAC) on the examination of NSSA accounts for the years ending December 31 2011 and December 2012 presented last week by former Labour minister Paurina Mpariwa, NSSA should not have made the investment.
The committee said the medical centre should also be put to tender to ensure NSSA realises returns from its investments.
"In the committee's view, NSSA made an unwise decision by investing into the construction of the medical centre where no title deeds had been provided.
"However, the fact that Dr Dube and his team failed to meet the obligations under the agreement renders such an agreement immaterial.
"On the basis of the facts presented, the Ekusileni Medical Centre belongs to NSSA.
"Dr Dube and his team should vacate the building and pave way for other players with capacity.
"The wrangle had raged on for a considerable period of time and as a result, there is a risk that the building might be deteriorating without being put to good use."
Ekusileni is a 369-bed hospital facility.
The hospital briefly opened in 2004, but was promptly closed after it was discovered that equipment worth millions of dollars acquired by the ZCHT, after renting the institution from NSSA, was obsolete.
The ZCHT owes NSSA $4,2 million in rental arrears.
Early this year, government ministers promised that the hospital would reopen its doors soon.
Source - Southern Eye
