Sidilega, Bomaid relationship on sickbed
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday October 18, 2022 06:00
Sidilega Private Hospital and Botswana Medical Aid Society (Bomaid) are at each other’s throats and it is the paying members/patients bearing the brunt.
The two entities' relationship returns to sick-bed once again as Sidilega now demands cash payments from patients.
Sidilega on Thursday issued a statement citing there were serious business disruptions between the two entities resulting in financial risk for the hospital.
“It is with regret once again that we inform Bomaid members that Sidilega Private Hospital has decided to suspend services with effect from 8am on October 14. From that date until further notice, Bomaid members will access our services on a cash-only basis and claim from Bomaid thereafter,” reads the statement.
The post on their Facebook page attracted different reactions with some pointing fingers at Bomaid while others blamed Sidilega.
Bomaid would respond the following day expressing disappointment at the turnout of events.
“We have once again noted with regret information circulating on social media about the intention of Sidilega Private Hospital to suspend services to Bomaid members.
Hospitals and health funders both carry risks that are inherent in both lines of business, and disruptions in service delivery are an extreme last resort where a partnership that places the health citizen at the centre of both operations exists.
Further, as a medical aid fund, the Board and management have a fiduciary obligation to protect the assets and sustainability of Bomaid as well as the wellbeing of our customers,” Bomaid CEO Moraki Mokgosana wrote.
Bomaid stated that they believe Sidilega had ignored their proposed solutions and found the most punitive and stringent action was the default solution.
“Indeed we have been in engagements with Sidilega Private Hospital about the disruptions that have been experienced by the entities.
It is our strong conviction that these are in the normal course of business and warrant no suspension of services. Nor are they unique to Sidilega or Bomaid. We had proposed some solutions to the hospital management that we believed sought a balance between the risks of both parties. We were engaged in a series of meetings proposed over the next week to find a workable solution,” Mokgosana stated.
It is not the first time the two service providers collide as it also happened in February this year. According to a statement from Sidilega then, short payment of their hospital claims by Bomaid was the reason they demanded cash for services rendered. It took a week for normal services to resume.