Namibia’s Ministry of Finance has accused 84 doctors of pocketing millions of dollars through the government’s medical aid scheme.
Every year, the Namibian government allocates millions of dollars to boost the healthcare system aimed at subsidizing medical expenditures in the Southern African country.
The scheme currently covers 240,000 beneficiaries across the country.
According to a 2018 financial report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF); the government has been losing about $900 million annually.
The investigation was undertaken due to ever-increasing government medical aid spending, resulting in a 2017 resolution to investigate the claiming patterns of healthcare service providers.
Finance Ministery spokesperson Tonateni Shidhudhu last month confirmed that forensic investigations were concluded and a peer review committee was set up, which identified a list of 84 doctors as outlayers, and it was recommended that they be investigated.
Following the investigations, the ministry has also instituted civil action against some providers and is contemplating slapping the alleged culprits with criminal charges.