Zimpapers Logo

Business Reporter
First Mutual Holdings’ medical fund, First Mutual Health, has partnered South African health insurer Momentum Health to extend medical aid services to Zimbabweans study-ing in South Africa.

Health cover for students intending to study abroad is a requirement for the visa application process.

First Mutual Health general manager Mr Stanford Sisya said the partnership came about following realisation of a significant gap for medical insurance for Zimbabwean students in South Africa.

“To address this need and cater for our First Mutual Health members as well as other members of the public who need this cover, as a visa application requirement, we entered into a partnership with Momentum Health, our strategic partner from South Africa,” he said.

Mr Sisya said plans are underway to extend the product to students in other countries.

“Additionally, we have naming rights and have, thus, named this product the First Mutual Heal International Student Cover, which will give us the impetus to penetrate other international markets in which we have Zimbabwean students carrying out their studies.”

Momentum Health sales head (student segment) Ms Rikki Erasmus said: “The scheme fills the legal requirement for international students to obtain a study permit at South African academic institutions, where is compulsory to provide proof of medical cover with a medical scheme registered in terms of the Medical Schemes Act, Section 15 (1).’

She added that Momentum Health initially entered the Zimbabwean market in 2008, and currently over 6 000 Zimbabwean students are covered under their scheme.

According to the scheme, students stand to benefit in terms of unlimited access to any general practitioner on its network, cover at any private hospital up to R1 060 000 per year; medication, dentistry and optometry benefits, unlimited emergency transport via NetCare 911; and free R5 million international travel benefits for up to 90 days, and free repatriation of mortal remains, among others.