$3,5m hospital to open in Byo
EMERGING hospital group Corporate 24 is next week set to open its state-of-the-art hospital in Bulawayo which was built at a cost of more than $3,5 million. The hospital project took at least two years to complete.
In an interview, Corporate 24 group chief executive officer Dr Mike Joka said the health facility will be a fully-fledged facility offering a one-stop service.
He said the project was part of the company’s effort to complement Government in the provision of health. The centre will operate 24 hours.
“The ripple effects of such a development in the City of Kings cannot go unnoticed with the current high unemployment rates prevailing in the country. The facility which is estimated to start with a workforce of 100 comes as a huge relief to the already depressed job market in Bulawayo,” he said.
Dr Joka called for more Government support in the health sector saying a number of other sectors have received support like the Distressed and Marginalised Areas Fund.
“While a significant amount of money has been channeled to other sectors particularly through Dimaf, the health care sector seems not to have been prioritised by the Government in terms of funding.
“We call on the Government to also support the health sector as it is facing a number of challenges,” he said. Commenting on the company’s problems with Cimas, Dr Joka said at the moment his company was demanding payment directly from members of the medical aid. Corporate24 is owed more than $500 000 by Cimas for unpaid claims stretching to June last year. Cimas announced last week that it has paid all claims to Corporate 24 until March. “That is a completely false and misleading statement form Cimas,” he said.