Civil servants have demanded involvement in the running of affairs in PSMAS, blasting government for collapsing the entity by refusing to increase its contribution.
The government contributes 80 percent of the premiums, while members pay the 20 percent remainder.
Addressing the press at PSC house today, civil servants under the banner of the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) said government’s “illegal” interference in the PSMAS affairs had crippled service delivery.
“When our members go to seek medical services they get lots of shortfalls and it is a serious concern for us.
“We are not worried about the boardroom squabbles. We don’t mind the forensics that the authorities are talking about because we know that these are public funds and are subject to any scrutiny. The burden of scrutinizing lies with members themselves. What we are saying is that moving forward, all we want is for our employer to bring the issues to the table so that we discuss all those issues and come up with amicable solutions that are agreed by both parties. we don’t mind if there is any financial mismanagement or whatever. All we want is service to the member,” ZCPSTU representative Goodwill Taderera said.
PSMAS was founded by civil servants to provide medical cover to members at a reasonable cost.
The medical aid has almost virtually collapsed due to a combination of low premiums by members and a refusal by the government to raise its contributions.
