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NewsDay

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Hospital to attach patients’ properties

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MASVINGO — Masvingo General Hospital, the Province’s largest referral health centre, is descending heavily on patients owing the institution money through debt collectors, who have threatened to attach their properties. Masvingo provincial medical director in the Ministry of Health, Dr Robert Mudyiradima, confirmed their latest decision. “Every company engages the services of debt collectors. Even […]

MASVINGO — Masvingo General Hospital, the Province’s largest referral health centre, is descending heavily on patients owing the institution money through debt collectors, who have threatened to attach their properties.

Masvingo provincial medical director in the Ministry of Health, Dr Robert Mudyiradima, confirmed their latest decision.

“Every company engages the services of debt collectors. Even the government does it. Why not us?” said Mudyiradima.

The development is set to see defaulters paying more than what they owe the health institution as debt collectors’ fees will be added to their original bills.

In a letter seen by NewsDay to one of the defaulters, Brighton Maruma who was admitted last year, the hospital, through the debt collectors, gave him 48 hours to settle the bill, failure of which they would attach his property.

Sources at the hospital said the referral health centre was forced to take this route to service its debts as well.

“We are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars, some dating back to the pre-multi-currency era. This is threatening our viability and the hospital was forced to take such a route to recover that money. Otherwise things will be bad because we also owe some institutions money.

“Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind because it is the same people who will in future seek medical attention here. Where will they go if the hospital collapses?” said an official who refused to be named.