Institution continues with free emergency services

PRIVATE healthcare institution, Corporate 24, is continuing with free emergency health services until month-end, targeting Bulawayo and Harare residents, to reduce the cost and complication delays in medical attention.

Corporate 24 Healthcare chief executive, Dr Mike Joka, said the campaign will cover all expenses.

“Anyone who has an emergency, wherever they are, all they need to do is to get an ambulance to Corporate 24 upon authorisation. Once the patient gets to Corporate 24, they will be treated by the doctor free of charge,” he said.

“All the drugs that need to be given and consumables used, will be offered free of charge. If they need to be observed, they will be observed free of charge.

“If there are any x-ray scans and lab tests that the doctors order at that particular time, which are important for the management of that emergency, that will be done for free as well.”

Dr Joka said if the patient was stable, they could go back home.

The only payments a patient makes relates to the ambulance that ferries them to the medical facility.

“If they are stable but still need admission, we then refer them to any institution of their choice or end up admitted at their own cost at our hospital,” he said.

Yesterday at the hospital, doctors were attending patients involved in accidents and a diabetic patient that had collapsed.

Dr Joka said the campaign was in response to the huge arrival of emergencies in which most of the patients were not ready financially, logistically and mentally.

The hospital has partnered with ambulance service providers such as Emras, Mars, St Johns, ACE, Metro, Netstar and Sideways.