Zimbabwe's medical community has welcomed the proposed lifting of the ban on advertising medical services, a move that is expected to have a significant impact on the country's healthcare sector.
The lifting of the ban was announced by the Minister of Finance, Prof Mthuli Ncube, while addressing the National Budget last Thursday. The ban will be lifted with effect from 1 January 2025.
With the ban lifted, local medical practitioners and health institutions will be able to advertise their services, making it easier for patients to access information and make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Dr Johannes Marisa welcomed the news, saying the ban had been tantamount to offering a service in the dark.
"That is really sweet news. The world has changed in terms of technology if we are to compare with the past. Patients need to know the available medical services if they are to go for them. There are so many services that are now offered in our country, but people do not know. Once any form of passing information was found to be advertising, the regulatory bodies would be quick to knock on your door. It's a milestone that will uplift our medical tourism. Patients did not know what the country was capable of," said Dr Marisa.
One of the most significant benefits of lifting the prohibition is that it will reduce the need for locals to travel abroad for medical treatment. This will not only save foreign currency, but also promote domestic medical tourism.
In addition, the lifting of the ban is expected to attract foreign medical tourists to Zimbabwe. With the country's medical practitioners and health institutions able to advertise their services, Zimbabwe will become a more attractive destination for medical tourists from around the world.
This, in turn, will generate foreign currency earnings for the country and create jobs in the healthcare sector as patients who previously travelled abroad will now get treated at home. It will also promote the development of medical tourism infrastructure, such as specialised hospitals and clinics growing the Private Public Partnership (PPP).
Overall, the lifting of the ban on advertising medical services is a positive development for Zimbabwe's healthcare sector. It will promote access to information, reduce the need for locals to travel abroad for medical treatment, and attract foreign medical tourists to the country.
Dr Vivek Solanki, the founder of Trauma Centre, said this puts Zimbabwe's healthcare first.
"This is a game-changing decision that has been made and enacted. This puts Zimbabwean healthcare first. This saves a lot of foreign currency. This means we can put up billboards of information on our streets, roads, hotels, airports, same as they do in South Africa, in Tanzania, in Zambia, in Dubai, in India, in Thailand. Everybody else has been doing this, and this is how Zimbabweans know more about the services that are available in those foreign countries than what is available back home," said Dr Solanki.
"The lifting of the ban and amending the Health Act for the doctors to be able to advertise their services, hospitals to be able to advertise their services too, not only in the neighbouring
region and globally, but also within Zimbabwe, is a milestone in the history of healthcare.
"This puts us on the global front of healthcare services. Doctors in Zimbabwe will now be able to find out and know what is available within the country before embarking on foreign journeys, which purport to be much cheaper services. And then they can make a more informed decision, avoid foreign complications, spend on foreign currency, spending a long time away from home and family, and also mitigating and minimising complications of day," he said.
Zimbabwean doctors are held in high repute globally. Patients who have gone to South Africa for procedures have been surprised to have been operated on by local doctors who fly there for scheduled procedures.
"Zimbabwean doctors are highly qualified. They were leaders in their fields in the Diaspora, and they have come back in their droves. And many facilities here accommodate these specialists who have come back to Zimbabwe.
"And we have to promote the services. We have to give informed marketing, which does not say we are the best or he's the best and those kinds of things. At least it tells the people these are the services that are available in Zimbabwe.
The country spends over US$150 million every year on treatments overseas.
"Now, can you imagine if that money remains behind in the country?"
"You know how many hospitals we can build and clinics we can build and empower our doctors and specialists?
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We will keep the economy within the country. Bring it back home. I'm very excited for this to have happened," said Dr Solanki.
In Zimbabwe, the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ) will provide guidelines for medical advertising. Although the specific guidelines are not yet available, we can look at how other countries regulate medical advertising for some insight.
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires medical advertising to be truthful, not misleading, and substantiated by scientific evidence.
In the European Union, The EU has strict regulations governing medical advertising, including requirements for transparency, accuracy, and respect for patient autonomy.
In South Africa, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) regulates medical advertising, requiring it to be truthful, not misleading, and substantiated by scientific evidence.
While we await the MDPCZ guidelines, it's likely that they will include similar requirements and suitable homegrown guidelines to grow our medical tourism.
