News / National
Zimbabwe medical funds fight clinics sell-off
4 hrs ago |
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The Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) has petitioned Parliament to halt proposed amendments that would bar medical aid societies from operating clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and laboratories, forcing them to divest within 36 months.
In a letter to the Health and Child Care ministry, medical aid societies — which serve millions of Zimbabweans, including civil servants — warned that the changes would undermine the constitutional right to healthcare. They argued that if adopted, the amendments to Statutory Instrument 330 of 2000 would push patients toward private surgeries and clinics where fees are unaffordable for many.
The petition, dated April 15, raised constitutional, legal, economic, and public interest concerns. It cited violations of rights enshrined in the constitution, including the right to healthcare (Section 76), administrative justice (Section 68), property rights (Section 71), and freedom of trade and economic activity (Section 64).
AHFoZ requested suspension of the amendment process, calling for stakeholder consultations and hearings by the parliamentary portfolio committee on health. "The proposed amendment is constitutionally defective, legally inconsistent, economically harmful, and contrary to public interest," the petition stated.
The debate comes as government health facilities face severe shortages of medicines, staff resignations over poor working conditions, and deteriorating infrastructure. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission recently warned that without urgent intervention, the health system risks further collapse.
Meanwhile, the Pharmacists and Allied Professionals 4ED, a Zanu-PF affiliate group, has endorsed the proposed changes, saying local professionals are ready to take over medical aid-run facilities. Secretary-General Tichaona Musavenganya argued that empowerment vehicles exist to support such takeovers.
Sector insiders, however, fear the amendments could open the door for cartels to seize control of medical aid society investments. "It seems lost to those pushing the amendment that the actual owners of these facilities are the members who pooled their funds over many years to guarantee access to quality care," one health expert said.
In a letter to the Health and Child Care ministry, medical aid societies — which serve millions of Zimbabweans, including civil servants — warned that the changes would undermine the constitutional right to healthcare. They argued that if adopted, the amendments to Statutory Instrument 330 of 2000 would push patients toward private surgeries and clinics where fees are unaffordable for many.
The petition, dated April 15, raised constitutional, legal, economic, and public interest concerns. It cited violations of rights enshrined in the constitution, including the right to healthcare (Section 76), administrative justice (Section 68), property rights (Section 71), and freedom of trade and economic activity (Section 64).
AHFoZ requested suspension of the amendment process, calling for stakeholder consultations and hearings by the parliamentary portfolio committee on health. "The proposed amendment is constitutionally defective, legally inconsistent, economically harmful, and contrary to public interest," the petition stated.
The debate comes as government health facilities face severe shortages of medicines, staff resignations over poor working conditions, and deteriorating infrastructure. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission recently warned that without urgent intervention, the health system risks further collapse.
Meanwhile, the Pharmacists and Allied Professionals 4ED, a Zanu-PF affiliate group, has endorsed the proposed changes, saying local professionals are ready to take over medical aid-run facilities. Secretary-General Tichaona Musavenganya argued that empowerment vehicles exist to support such takeovers.
Sector insiders, however, fear the amendments could open the door for cartels to seize control of medical aid society investments. "It seems lost to those pushing the amendment that the actual owners of these facilities are the members who pooled their funds over many years to guarantee access to quality care," one health expert said.
Source - The Standard
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