Doctors accused of diverting attention to private business

MEDICAL  doctors across the country have been accused of diverting their attention to their private businesses at the expense of the tax payers who fund the salaries they get while working in government health institutions.

This is revealed in the latest report by Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA ) which complains that the government caused the doctors' diverted attention by allowing them to operate private health institutions.

ACT-SA director Obert Chinhamochallenged the authorities to reverse the policy with indications that there is serious conflict of interest and corruption  as a result of it.

Health and Child Care minister Douglas Mombeshora  recently said government hospital doctors should stop diverting patients to their private surgeries.  

ACT SA report in 2019, ACT-SA revealed that several cases of conflict of interest and other forms of corruption were negatively affecting health service delivery and in the process resulting in the death of many patients not deserving to die.

ACT-SA  said it observed that health practitioners operate private health businesses such as pharmacies, clinics, hospitals and surgeries while at the same time being in the full-time employment of the government.

It noted that some health personnel abused government facilities for personal benefits.

"The case of Masvingo General Hospital was cited at which it was alleged that doctors used government facilities and a private ward donated by the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) and the Masvingo business community to treat their private patients,"  the report said.

"Instead of treating patients at government medical institutions, some health personnel referred patients to their private clinics, hospitals, surgeries and pharmacies for personal gain."