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Daniel Kachere Herald Correspondent
The Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) has started implementing its turnaround strategy to bring back normalcy to its operations that will see service providers being paid promptly.

The society’s public relations officer Mr Arthur Choga said the turnaround strategy was beginning to bear fruit for the organisation.

“PSMAS is now in the early stages of implementing a turnaround strategy, which we believe will enable the society to deliver the kind of service our members had become accustomed to before problems started rocking the society.

“We are coming to a point where our hard work is starting to bear fruit.

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“This is a step in the right direction as our members have been complaining for a long time,” he said.

Mr Choga said the society was committed to meeting its obligations as well as expectations of all its stakeholders.

“We are grateful to our Government, service providers and staff who have greatly contributed to this new strategy being implemented.

“We have started to pay service providers and our first payment was made last Friday,” he said.

Mr Choga added that the society had since disbursed funds to all its PSP pharmacies countrywide for the purchase of drugs that had been in short supply.

Problems at PSMAS started when a salary structure which saw group chief executive officer Dr Cuthbert Dube earning $500 000 every month was exposed.

His top executives were also earning mega salaries averaging $60 000 a month, excluding benefits.

Despite these huge salaries and benefits, PSMAS failed to pay service providers, resulting in its members failing to access healthcare services when they needed them most.

Following the exposé, Dr Dube and the society’s board chairman Mrs Meisie Makelotso Namasasu were forced to step down.

Subsequently, the whole board of directors resigned, leaving Government with no option, but to appoint an interim management to bring back normalcy at the society.

The interim manager, Dr Gibson Mhlanga, a principal director in the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s term of office expired in July, paving way for the new board.

PSMAS is currently under the leadership of Dr Nicholas Munyonga, who was appointed as acting managing director following the suspension of Mr Henry Mandishona on allegations of mismanagement.