The Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) has suspended Omnipath Medical Laboratories following verified allegations that the company has been operating an unauthorised sample-collection point from a parked vehicle inside Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in connivance with hospital staff.
In a formal letter addressed to Dr Tsitsi Magure, Chief Medical Officer of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, AHFoZ says it has suspended Omnipath’s registration with immediate effect, pending resolution of the matter.
The hospital has been asked to advise whether Omnipath had any formal authority to operate on its premises.
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The association has also reported the issue to the Medical Laboratory and Clinical Scientists Council of Zimbabwe.
AHFoZ says its investigations confirmed that an Omnipath-branded vehicle was illegally collecting patient samples from the hospital’s casualty parking area as part of a kickback-driven referral scheme involving healthcare professionals.
“The practice of offering or accepting inducements for patient referrals is a clear breach of medical ethics and is illegal. It does not only exploit patients but also brings the reputation of your esteemed institution into disrepute,” AHFoZ wrote.
The association says its team is ready to provide more details, including firsthand accounts gathered during what it describes as “their interaction at the car.”
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