By Anyway Yotamu
Cimas Medical Aid Society has launched an information campaign, dubbed Secure With Us, to correct misconceptions about medical aid societies and increase awareness of the services it offers and the steps it has taken to add value to the market.
Speaking to journalist in Harare Thursday 9th of January 2020 Managing Director responsible for Medical Aid Mr Martin Mushambadope said ” the Company has a wide range of medical aid packages but is rationalising them with effect from February 1, doing away with three packages and grouping the remaining ones into three categories, namely International, Comprehensive and Standard packages.”
He also highlighted that “there are three international packages, namely Healthguard Deluxe, Healthguard Essential and Healthguard Classic, all of them being provided by Healthguard International, the Mauritius-domiciled Cimas international subsidiary. They are United States dollar denominated packages, with both contributions and benefits payable in United States dollars.
The three comprehensive packages are Private Hospital Plus, Medexec and Prime. The contributions for these packages are ZWL denominated and will track medical inflation and fund performance monthly. It is expected this will result in little or no shortfalls for most healthcare services covered by these packages.
The standard packages will be Basicare, which limits benefits to public and mission health institutions and Cimas clinics, iCare, which is a package for individuals, and Private Hospital. Shortfalls are likely to continue with these packages, except at Cimas facilities. These are also ZWL denominated.”
Cimas operates a number of primary healthcare clinics throughout the country, all of which have full time doctors as well as nurses and incorporate a pharmacy. The clinic in Simon Vengai Muzenda Street in Harare is open 24 hours a day throughout the year. There is also a Cimas dental clinic in Harare.
Cimas members, regardless of their package, do not have to pay anything for consultations at these clinics or for medicines purchased from their pharmacies. The clinics are also open to non-members for a reasonable fee.
There is a Cimas Dialysis Centre in Harare, where again treatment for Cimas members in need of dialysis is free. Non-members pay for this service, which is essential for those with kidney failure.
The Cimas Medical Laboratories, which have international quality accreditation, analyse blood and other specimens to assist doctors with their diagnosis.
Cimas Rescue provides both an air and ground ambulance service and runs a training academy offering training in First Aid and emergency life-saving procedures.