Africa-Press – Eswatini. Already accused of unfair practices and broken status, embattled SwaziMed has once again found itself in the middle of another storm after promptly suspending membership of Eswatini Bank employees – a month before time.
Eswatini Bank had given SwaziMed a three-month notice in September and indicated that by January 2025, the financial institution will open a choice of medical aid services to their employees over and above SwaziMed as per legislation.
However, SwaziMed moved swiftly to suspend medical aid services to all Eswatini Bank staff members on Friday, November 1, 2024, leaving management and employees frustrated and hopping mad.
Eswatini Daily News (EDN) has established how three Eswatini Bank employees discovered to their utter dismay on Friday when they went to a prominent clinic for urgent medical assistance that their services had been suspended.
“I was perplexed when I got to the clinic only to be told my membership has been suspended and I had to call our HR to find out what was happening.
Indeed, HR confirmed that SwaziMed had suspended all employees effective November 1, 2024. I was really stressed out and helpless,” one of the staff members, speaking to the EDN on condition of anonymity said.
This newspaper then gathered that through a new arrangement facilitated by the bank’s management through the office of Human Resources, three of the bank’s employees who needed urgent medical assistance were assisted under the new arrangement.
The Bank then issued a memo via email informing the staff members of the SwaziMed suspension and assuring them that management was in control of the situation.
In a statement issued by the bank’s management after queries from this newspaper, the bank cried foul over SwaziMed’s unprofessional conduct.
Eswatini Bank MD Nozizwe Mulela delivering her remarks during the event
“We were certainly shocked and taken aback by this action based on the three-month notice communique given to SwaziMed in September.
Otherwise, management is in control of the situation to ensure the health and safety of our employees,” part of the statement from the bank’s management reads in part.
SwaziMed Marketing Manager Sicelo Mkhonta could not be reached for comment, and he did not respond to WhatsApp messages sent to his mobile phone on Sunday.
SwaziMed has been the subject of a Parliament debate when Members of Parliament questioned its unfair practices, brokestatus and ability to continue operating.
Mbabane East MP Welcome Dlamini, in late September, inquired from the Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg if SwaziMed remained fit to operate given its struggles to meet obligations.
Rijkenberg acknowledged that his ministry had received numerous complaints from healthcare institutions and members of the administration regarding SwaziMed.
Some of the complaints include beneficiaries not receiving the full benefits of their selected medical aid options while monthly contributions are paid.
Additionally, there are concerns about hospitalization being limited to a few days, which does not align with the agreed benefits between the beneficiary and SwaziMed.
“Whether true or not, these accusations reach the Ministry, indicating a need for actions,” Rijkenberg remarked then.
SwaziMed Marketing Manager, Sicelo Mkhonta was quoted in a prior article published in August by our sister newspaper, the Eswatini Sunday, assuring that everything was under control and invoices were paid within thirty days.
Rijkenberg informed Parliament in September that some challenges within the medical aid sector stem from the absence of primary legislation to regulate and oversee their activities.
He was questioned about FSRAs role in regulating the sector.
The Minister stated that this lack of oversight poses a significant threat to the industry, as there is no protection for member premiums or mandated minimum reserve requirements to safeguard member benefits.
The Ministry of Finance is currently collaborating with FSRA to formulate a Medical Aid Bill that will oversee medical schemes and protect member premiums.
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