A major corruption scandal is unfolding at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, with shocking revelations that senior doctors and nurses are in an illicit arrangement with Appex Medical Laboratories, coercing patients to use their private services for kickbacks, investigation has uncovered.
A private WhatsApp group named “Sally Interface” where over 30 medical professionals from the hospital’s departments, including Oncology, Internal Medicine, and Gynaecology, are in direct communication with Apex’s marketing managers.
Our investigation, which included interviews with over a dozen patients and a whistleblower within the hospital, reveals a well-orchestrated system where patients are pressured, sometimes under the guise of urgency, to undergo tests at Appex Laboratories.
“I went in for a persistent cough,” said a patient identified as Admire from Mufakose.
“After a brief consultation, the doctor wrote on a hospital paper and then directed me Spilhaus where Appex is at.
When I asked if I could use the hospital lab to save costs, he became stern and said, ‘If you want accurate and timely results for your condition, this is where you go. I cannot guarantee the hospital’s machines.’ I felt I had no choice.” There are numerous labs but they were specific to where I should go.
Another patient, Anesu shared a similar experience during her antenatal visit.
“The nurse was very sweet until I mentioned I had already done some blood tests at a different lab. Her demeanour changed. She told me that for proper continuity of care, I must use Apex because their system is directly linked to the hospital’s records, which I now know is a lie. She even told me I could get a discount if I mentioned her name there” Anesu recounted.
Apex representatives post daily or weekly “special offers” on specific tests like Full Blood Counts, Cancer Markers, and PCR tests. Doctors and nurses who successfully refer patients are promised a “commission” or “facilitation fee,” transferred via cash and a very new doctor or nurse is given a “Welcome lunch allowance”
A hospital insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimization, confirmed the malpractice.
“It’s an open secret among some staff. Patients are often told that the hospital machine is broken, or that the wait will be months, or that Appex’s technology is superior. It’s a lie. It’s purely for profit. The ethical breach is staggering,” the source said.
Medical ethics experts have slammed the practice, drawing a clear line between ethical service provision and coercive marketing.
Witwatersrand University based medical practitioner Mlingisi Ndebele said : “If this is true, it’s a gross violation of the Hippocratic Oath and the fundamental trust in the doctor-patient relationship. Medical decisions, including where a patient goes for tests, must be based solely on clinical need and the patient’s best interest and choice. When financial incentives dictate these decisions, it becomes a form of exploitation and professional misconduct. This kind of marketing is not marketing; it is institutionalized corruption.”
The revelations have prompted calls for an immediate investigation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Prominent anti-corruption Kimpton Govedzo said the anti-graft body should look into the matter.
“We demand an urgent investigation into this syndicate at Sally Mugabe Hospital. This is a clear case of corruption, abuse of office, and fraud. Public servants are using their positions to unduly enrich themselves and a private entity at the direct expense of vulnerable, sick citizens. ZACC must act now to root out this corruption and restore integrity to our public health system,” he said.
