PSMI yields to Chin’ono exposé, will pay workers November salaries

After being exposed for not paying workers and failing to provide service to customers while buying new cars and sending management to a holiday in Victoria Falls, the Premier Service Medical Investments (PSMI) says it has embarked on paying its employees their November salaries.

Prominent investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono made a series of tweets over the weekend exposing PSMI for failing to pay doctors, nurses, pharmacists and scientists who were supposed to receive their November salaries.

On Monday he posted a picture of more than 30 patients waiting to get treatment at a PSMI clinic in George Silundika St in Harare and captioned it:

“The doctors, nurses, pharmacists & scientists who are supposed to help these people have not received their November salaries. Management in Victoria Falls on retreat!” Chin’ono said.

According to his sources, Chin’ono also noted that the medical institution was failing to provide HIV test kits but surprisingly managed to send the senior management to holiday in Victoria Falls.

“The testimonies from doctors and nurses at Premier Service Medical #PSMI show a medical group that has collapsed because of greedy, incompetence and corruption!

“It is unimaginable that management would buy new cars when they can’t provide HIV testing kits and paracetamol! Sad!

“The management and board of Premier Service Medical #PSMI are on a retreat in Victoria Falls and are staying at Elephant Hills Hotel. They are coming back on Monday.

“They are receiving huge allowances and yet doctors/nurses/pharmacists/scientists have not been paid! Terrible!” he said.

In response to the allegations, PSMI released a statement denying sending management to holiday as well as buying them luxury vehicles.

The organisation, however, admitted to not paying workers their November salaries saying the issue had been resolved last Friday and the staff should expect their wages on Monday.

“However, it must be noted that allegations of purchase of luxury vehicles, holidaying and extravagant perks are frivolous and unsubstantiated. If anything, the current operational fleet, including ambulances, services vehicles for practitioners and logistics service vehicles, which was last recapitalised nearly five years ago is another factor affecting work processes and even retention of key personnel.

“PSMI had mobilised for November salaries by last week Friday 10/12/21 and employees should expect salaries as of Monday 13/12/21,” read the statement.

Meanwhile, some workers had raised concerns not only about unpaid salaries but protested against poor working conditions that have exposed them to Covid-19. It is reported that half of the maternity ward nurses tested positive for Covid-19. Nehanda Radio