Parliamentarians have condemned the resolution by doctors to stop accepting medical aid cards with effect from July 1, arguing that it is tantamount to condemning the public to death. Debating on an urgent motion moved by Mabvuku-Tafara MP Mr James Maridadi, the legislators said the issue must be treated as a matter of urgency as it violated people’s right to health and life.
“We demand that the Minister of Health and Child Care, as the regulator comes and update this House on the current impasse following the announcement by doctors that they will not accept any medical aid come July 1.
“This House must rise and stop this madness that will result in the suffering of the ordinary citizen who has been religiously paying his or her medical insurance subscription,” Warren Park MP, Engineer Elias Mudzuri said. Engineer Mudzuri further argued that allowing doctors to deny medical aid cards was tantamount to denying an ordinary person access to essential healthcare.
“This is tantamount to condemning the common person to death given the situation that the country is already in a cash crisis. By paying for medical insurance, that person would have prepared for the future considering that our medical care in the country is already way too expensive,” said engineer Mudzuri.
Proportional Representation MP Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga also concurred that the issue must be dealt with as a matter of urgency because it violated the right to health and life.

“This is a crisis that calls for an urgent Cabinet meeting,” said MP Misihairabwi-Mushonga. Buhera West MP Cde Oliver Mandipaka said the Minister of Health owed it to the nation to explain what really has been going on resulting into the feud. “Minister Parirenyatwa should appear before this House and explain what has been going on. People we represent expect answers from us on what this means, yet we do not have any answers.
“We are not happy with such an announcement by doctors which has the potential to cause despondency. To clear all this, the responsible Minister should appear and give us information,” said MP Mandipaka.
MP Maridadi accused the Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZiMA) of holding the nation at ransom saying they had no right to speak on behalf of all doctors in the country. “This is just a lobby group which does not represent all doctors in the country. It was very irresponsible of them to make such to such an announcement,” said Mr Maridadi.
He said after all, most private doctors were not accepting PSMAS card, which is used by the majority of people on medical aid in Zimbabwe. In a separate interviews, the Community Working Group on Health executive director Mr Itai Rusike said his organisation was saddened by the lack of the ordinary person’s voice in the battle between doctors and health insurers.
Mr Rusike said denying medical aid cards defeats the whole purpose of pre-payments to medical aid societies, resulting in increased barriers to accessing healthcare by the ordinary men. “The biggest question is, who represents public interest so that they can make input when there is such an impasse?” he queried.
Mr Rusike urged Government to quickly put in place legislation that protects the interest of its citizens.-state media