THE Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) has petitioned Parliament to halt proposed amendments that would restrict medical aid societies from operating clinics or hospitals, pharmacies and labs, compelling them to disinvest within 36 months.
In a recent letter addressed to the Health and Child Care ministry, medical aid societies, who provide services to millions of clients and beneficiaries including civil servants, said the proposed changes undermined the right to healthcare.
If the proposed changes to Statutory Instrument 330 of 2000 are adopted, millions of ordinary Zimbabweans will be forced to turn to private surgeries and clinics run by individuals where fees are beyond the reach of many.
The changes come at a time when government health facilities are in a dire state, facing shortages of basic drugs and medicines with nurses also quitting jobs protesting poor working conditions.
Last week, a shadowy Zanu PF affiliate group called the Pharmacists and Allied Professionals 4ED confirmed that a group of individuals were ready to run the medical-aid run facilities.
In its petition dated April 15 addressed to the clerk of Parliament, AHFoZ said the proposed changes will "reduce healthcare infrastructure capacity" and "limit access, particularly for vulnerable populations.”
It also raised serious constitutional, legal, economic, and public interest concerns regarding the proposed amendments.
It said the proposed law is a violation of the Right to Healthcare (Section 76 of the constitution), administrative justice (section 68), property rights (section 71), freedom of trade and economic activity (section 64) among others.
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“The constitution of Zimbabwe guarantees every citizen the right to access basic healthcare services,” the petition read.
“Medical aid societies currently directly contribute to the realisation of this right by expanding access through clinics, pharmacies, and diagnostic centres.
“The proposed amendment would reduce healthcare infrastructure capacity and limit access, particularly for vulnerable populations such as civil servants”
It requested the suspension of the amendment process for stakeholder consultation and referral to the parliamentary portfolio committee on health for hearings while giving room for structured stakeholder dialogue.
“The proposed amendment is constitutionally defective, legally inconsistent, economically harmful, and contrary to public interest,” it said.
“The current framework allowing medical aid societies to operate healthcare service arms remains essential for Zimbabwe.”
Sources within the sector said cartels are already angling to takeover clinics and hospitals owned by the country’s medical aid societies.
“It also seems lost to those pushing the amendment that the actual owners of the investments in the service units are the members of various societies who for many years have pooled their hard earned funds to guarantee and ensure access to quality care for themselves, families and now the public at large,” a health expert said.
Last week, the Pharmacists and Allied Professionals 4ED threw its weight behind the proposed changes, and called on the government to put in place empowerment vehicles to take over the running of facilities owned by medical aid societies.
“We reiterate that Zimbabwe has adequate qualified and experienced healthcare professionals with sufficient financial resources and adequate financial support from government through a number of empowerment vehicles put in place through various ministries in the country to purchase shares and assume ownership of healthcare centres operated by affected healthcare funders,” Pharmacists and Allied Professionals 4ED secretary-general Tichaona Musavenganya said in a statement on Wednesday
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission recently said the country’s health system was grappling with deep-rooted structural challenges due to underfunding challenges for decades.
According to the ZHRC, health facilities are also battling dysfunctional mortuaries, outdated incinerators, and poor water and sanitation systems, alongside worsening staff welfare concerns.
The ZHRC warned that without urgent intervention to modernise infrastructure and address resource gaps, Zimbabwe risks further erosion of healthcare standards, despite existing constitutional guarantees.
