PSMAS under forensic audit

THE Regulator of Medical Aid Societies (RMAS) has launched a forensic audit into the Public Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) following reports of looting and meddling by government officials at the organisation.

Addressing a Press conference yesterday, Health and Child Care minister Constantino Chiwenga who also doubles as Vice-President confirmed the development saying: “The RMAS has informed both government and PSMAS board that it has ordered a forensic audit of PSMAS in order to satisfy itself that the society is operating properly and in keeping with its mandate. While awaiting the outcome of that audit, government will continue to support PSMAS in order to enhance its ability to provide healthcare, maintain credibility with service providers and in the process ensure that its workers get access to healthcare.”

This comes after the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Service Trade Unions (ZCPTU), an umbrella body for civil servants unions, claimed that the government through the Public Service Commission (PSC) was plotting to take over the health insurer.

It said PSC wanted to return PSMAS to the era of Cuthbert Dube, a former PSMAS chief executive, who allegedly facilitated looting at the society by senior government officials which almost brought it to its knees.

The ZCPTU also wrote to President Emmerson Mnangagwa advising him of PSC’s interference in PSMAS.

Chiwenga said government had a right to interfere with PSMAS operations because it provided 90% of its funding.

“Government remains concerned by some wild assertions that have been made in some quarters about its intentions with regard to PSMAS. As the major stakeholder, with its employees providing over 90% of the total funding to PSMAS, government has a duty to ensure that the core business of the society is not crowded out by other preoccupations that do not contribute to the core mandate of the society,” he said.

Chiwenga added: “This is the position of government as a whole and not isolated components of government. The position of the government is to support PSMAS and Premier Service Medical Investments as they concentrate solely on their core business of providing healthcare to members.”-newsday