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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
ANOTHER Bulawayo laboratory services company has dragged the Premier Services Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) to court for defaulting in settling more than $300,000 in claims from its subscribers.The latest lawsuit filed by Fairmind Clinical Laboratories comes barely a week after Diagnostic Laboratory, also from Bulawayo, filed a $117,000 lawsuit against the troubled health insurer.

In papers lodged at the Bulawayo High Court this week, Fairmind Clinical Laboratories is the plaintiff while PSMAS was cited as the defendant.

The laboratory services company through its lawyer, Sansole and Senda, is demanding $305,268,10 from PSMAS for medical tests rendered to the health insurer’s members between 2012 and 2015.

“From 2012 to 2015 the plaintiff provided laboratory services to PSMAS members after entering into an agreement with the defendant that they would pay for those services. Consequently, Fairmind Clinical Laboratories rendered services to the defendant’s members amounting to $305,268,10 between 2012 and 2015,” said the plaintiff’s lawyers.

“Wherefore plaintiff prays for payment of the sum of $305,268,10 with interest at the prescribed rate from the date of summons to the date of full and final payment.”

According to the summons, PSMAS has continuously neglected to settle the debt despite demand.

They said despite admitting owing Fairmind Clinical Laboratories, the medical aid society has failed, neglected or refused to settle the debt.

According to the court papers, the laboratory company is demanding that PSMAS pays a collection commission as determined by the Law Society of Zimbabwe and cost of suit at attorney-client scale.

PSMAS has not yet filed a notice to enter an appearance to defend the summons.

Health service providers have since last year in December been filing their applications at the High Court separately.

A fortnight ago, two Gweru eye specialists also filed lawsuits at the Bulawayo High Court suing PSMAS for more than $460,000 for defaulting in settling claims from its members.

NV Patel Optical Company is demanding $250,635 from PSMAS while Dr Patel is suing the medical aid society for $214,118. The money is for medical services rendered to PSMAS members up to February 20, 2015.

PSMAS early this month instructed medical service providers to demand cash upfront from its members intending to receive treatment, saying the move was aimed at preventing its debt to health service providers from ballooning and to avoid further litigation.

More than 30 health service providers have been instructed not to accept the society’s medical aid packages and members who seek their services will have to apply for reimbursement from the society’s offices. PSMAS’s problems have been largely blamed on the mega salaries which were being awarded to ousted chief executive Cuthbert Dube and his executives.

Dube was taking home more than $500,000 in salaries and allowances each month, at a time the medical aid society was failing to pay health service providers.