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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GWERU Provincial Hospital has engaged a debt collector in a bid to recover $1,5 million that the health institution is owed by patients.
Hospital medical superintendent Dr Fabian Mashingaidze confirmed that the health institution, the biggest referral hospital in the Midlands province, had engaged the services of Well Cash Debt Collectors.

He said patients sent to the debt collector had ignored the reminders from the hospital.

“Yes, we have engaged the services of debt collectors to recover our money from defaulting patients. We are owed more than a million dollars,” said Dr Mashingaidze.

He said the health institution was paralysed by patients who fail to pay their dues thereby denying the hospital money to improve service delivery.

Dr Mashingaidze said patients need to appreciate that hospital services were not limited to them only but to many others who included children and accident victims.

Yesterday, Well Cash Debt Collectors sent notices of payment demand to hundreds of patients in Gweru who have outstanding bills with the hospital.

The debt collectors urged the defaulting patients to pay up or risk legal action against them, which included attaching their property.

“We discovered that you failed to respond to our several demands served to you by us demanding an outstanding amount of $200 owed to our above stated client. We are sorry with great concern to say if no payment is done to our offices, your property will be removed legally through the court for non payment of debt,” reads part of the letter of demand from Well Cash Debt Collectors.

Dr Mashingaidze said the hospital started handing over defaulting patients to debt collectors in 2013 as they were not forthcoming with their payment plans when they were reminded to settle their bills.

“It’s not in the interest of the institution to engage debt collectors. However, patients fail to honour their debts and it is with a heavy heart that we have resorted to this action,” he said.

The hospital, like many other government health institutions, lacks adequate medical supplies and equipment due to underfunding.