The Private Hospitals Association of Zimbabwe has rebranded to Private Healthcare Association of Zimbabwe (PHAZ) in an effort to widen its membership base to include all healthcare service providers in the country.
Formed in 1996, the association caters for health providers in the private sector.
With the demise of the country’s health system due to ageing equipment and infrastructure, maladministration, lack of funding and brain drain among other challenges, the private sector has been the mainstay of the health system in the country.
However, charges by the private health sector have over the years been beyond the reach of many ordinary citizens resulting in those near borders seeking treatment and other services in neighbouring countries.
Some citizens have succumbed after failing to access healthcare because of lack of funds.
PHAZ believes by rebranding and coming together, members can buy equipment and services in groups which can reduce costs.
“We are excited to advise on the rebranding of the association. Previously we used to call ourselves the Private Hospitals Association of Zimbabwe which literally was looking at private hospitals, clinics and private surgeries,” said PHAZ chairman Dr Timothy Goche.
He was speaking while giving opening remarks at the PHAZ conference in Victoria Falls.
He said the rebranded association will encompass all health service providers in the private sector.
“So we have rebranded to the Private Healthcare Association of Zimbabwe and with this new scope we would want to include all private health sector players.
“We are saying any player and institution that is targeted to improve provision of private quality health services in the nation, even medical aids societies, health service providers, suppliers, manufacturers of even medical oxygen should join,” he said.
Accessing health services has been a nightmare in Zimbabwe as some medical aid societies and service providers either were accused of fraud or demanding top ups from clients.
A majority of Zimbabweans are in the informal sector and have no medical insurance while some who are still formally employed scaled down their medical packages as they could not afford monthly subscriptions.
I don’t want to start a new year with a grudge against anyone, am pouring out.
1 September l secured a job at Instacare Medical investments to serve as a nurse midwife, a role l tackled whole heartedly . It was my first time working in a private hospital but with sound theoretical, practical and technical nursing skills l managed to quickly gel-up. I attended a few in-house training as part of induction and l was offered to serve as a nurse in charge in Warren Park D branch. I was given a choice to choose a uniform color of my choice. I felt important, felt accepted and felt my nursing skills had secured me a top notch professional job in the private sector.
In less than two months l had already dealt with a myraid of social classes, made friends, established a good clientele rapport that l still savor to this date. Some time in October, a fellow nurse, previously a nurse in-charge called me to bail them out they had faced labor dystocia, alas the baby in utero had already demised. I was forced to write a report of what had happened by Doctor Mazodze implicating me as a culprit of midwifery malpractice. To make matters worse, it was day 4 with no sleep doing day and night duties. I verbalized fatigue but it was latter turned against me as someone who complains about service delivery and l was blacklisted from doing locum shifts Dr Mazodze implicating l complain about fatigue. None can render quality healthcare service with fatigue especially if maternity and labor duties are involved.
Talking of general cleanliness, l would summon nurse aides to clean up, tide-up the place but fellow sisters would insurbodinate such efforts.
Three months of probation lapsed. On the 29 th of November l was told l failed probation after l was even promoted. I recall the ordeal where l assisted one of our clients to a successful normal vertex delivery when everyone doubted it’s possibility, l recall when l was retrieved from my room resting to offer services, l once fell sick and l was deemed unprofessional by Dr Mazodze for verbalizing ill health and he told me l can’t communicate courteously.
Mr Sarari the accounts personel is so arrogant. I remember asking about my outstanding salary and allowance only tk be told “how is that my issue”.l can’t keep quiet after the ill treatment, verbal abuse, emotional drain that I faced at lnstacare. Your rate of hire and fire clearly depicts loopholes in your professional fabric a crease that needs to be ironed out. Who fires someone only because they asked about salaries, ditch people because they are sick cannot attend to impromptu, poorly planned events. You might be politically connected, linked to who ever but am writing this so that the world knows how evil you guys were to me.
I have now lost my government job, now l have been ditched, and the Human Resource personnel l am confident they thrive on rumours, run their institution with professional insufficiency, tribalism and disdainful sentiments. Too much labor exploitation there, salaries have no pay dates, no sound explanation on delays. You ruined my nursing career Instacare. l will not be silent, l cant kay fees for my kids, can’t afford rentals, you are basking in the glory of tribalism and gossip ruining careers, turning people to trash, l am hurt, the world should know this before the year ends.
Compiled by Sibanda Siphosenkosi
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