A Person Who Returns a Stolen Cow Still Stolethe Cow

Prime minister Elijah Ngurare has said out loud what public servants have complained about regarding the national medical aid fund. He believes doctors and Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (Psemas) insiders are colluding to overcharge the government. “As we speak, N$4 billion has been used just on Psemas, and that cartel seems to be working very well. It seems somebody is working hand in hand with doctors to overclaim,” Ngurare said. He promised to issue a statement to respond to concerns about the alleged scheme. The nation has heard such promises before. In April 2021, a forensic investigation flagged 84 doctors as outliers in their claims. By then, at least N$13 million had been paid back, as some doctors allegedly rushed to avoid charges. The Ministry of Finance said in 2021 that the forensic investigation had been concluded.

Five years on, the report has still not been made public. The members who fund Psemas have a right to read it. A teacher at Okomakwara would know straight away if she never saw that specialist. Have the 84 names and the insiders Ngurare is speaking of been handed over to the Anti-Corruption Commission and the prosecutor general? They should be. Paying back money does not close a case. A person who returns a stolen cow still stole the cow. Former president Hage Geingob told the nation that his administration was investigating misuse by members and their dependants. He said the abuse had cost the government millions of dollars. The Ministry of Health and Social Services said at the time that reforms were underway, including ways to reduce the N$3 billion allocation to Psemas. The then health executive director, Ben Nangombe, said claims were not checked properly and that some doctors claimed for treatment they never gave. So the…