LOCAL emergency services provider, Discovery Ambulance Emergency Services, recently repackaged its subscription products to make them affordable and accessible. The monthly emergency subscription fee package for a smart save product is US$1 per person per month. Our business reporter Kudakwashe Gwabanayi (KG) sat down with the company’s founder and chief executive officer David Munowenyu (DM) to get more insights into this programme. The conversation also touched on challenges and opportunities found in emergency services. Find below excerpts of the interview:
KG: Tell us about your US$1 per person programme, which you launched recently?
DM: Discovery Ambulance Services is a new player in the emergency medical services sector. Our goal is to augment government and other players' efforts in delivering affordable ambulance solutions hence we came up with a product, asking as little as US$1. Our motto, "Every Life Matters and Every Second Counts," drives our passion to quickly respond to emergency calls in the shortest period.
KG: How does it work?
DM: We are saying you pay a dollar per month to secure your 24/7 emergency cover and the annual fee is US$12. We have a free line, which is 991. Once you subscribe, you also get unlimited free tuberculosis checks and inter-hospital transfers within 40km among other benefits. Because we are dealing with a large clientele, we have metaphored the package to accommodate groups like churches, schools, miners and so on. We have committed ourselves to continuously develop this product to suit every customer's need.
KG: How would you describe emergency services uptake in Zimbabwe?
DM: Our decision to invest in the emergency medical services sector was guided by the widening gap to the affordability and accessibility of ambulances by the public. The players before us have done their part. Statistics shows us that 90% of Zimbabweans cannot afford the current medical aid package. Therefore, as Discovery Ambulance Services, we believe our product solution will bridge the gap and give each Zimbabwean peace of mind in knowing that there is an accessible emergency cover.
KG: So, what other products do you offer?
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DM: We offer services from basic first aid training to emergency life support courses for non-medicals as first line responders. We also provide Medsport and events cover where we station a fully kitted ambulance with highly trained ambulance technicians to respond swiftly.
KG: You have spoken about accessibility to all. Our population is over 16 million. How do you intend on achieving this?
DM: We have already invested in more than 25 ambulances that are already operational. We intend to increase this fleet to over 100 ambulances by end of this year. The goal is to cover all provinces. Right now we are present in Bindura, Bulawayo, Harare, Mutare and Masvingo. Our next stop will be Gweru where we are launching our ambulance service early next month. We have also invested in disaster management vehicles that can ferry at least six casualties at once in the event of accidents and natural disasters.
KG: For the interest of Zimbabweans, how did you come up with the idea of an ambulance service? It is an industry that has so many barriers to entry, including high costs in building a fleet?
DM: In response to the presidential call under the mantra ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’, my passion and experience and exposure, having worked with international emergency ambulance service providers, drove me to invest in this business. I am very cognisant of the huge investment required and am very up to fulfilling the task and I have recruited a team of highly skilled, business and medical practitioners to successfully operationalise the business. Our robust information technology and business intelligence act as a hedge to deliver success.
KG: The country recently launched a new currency, the ZiG. There are fears it may lose value. Again, the use of multi-currency is set to end by 2030. Don’t you think the currency issue will affect your business?
DM: The economic system of introducing our own currency is a micro solution to ensure stability for any developing economy. As business, we must show agility and adaptability to the changing environment and I must say we have confidence in our local currency, and we are accepting it as a method of payment.
KG: Do you think emergency services are a strategic investment for companies in Zimbabwe?
DM: Yes, it is a strategic investment for investors because there is a huge gap.
However, it does require heavy investment in equipment, infrastructure, human capital and intellectual property. Countries like Singapore have been able to write their success stories through the informal sectors, hence we are saying emergency services are a strategic investment because we intend to take care of our labour force, including those in the informal sector, as a way of guarding jealously the country's skill set.
KG: Where do you see your company in the next five years?
DM: As a complete affordable medical solutions provider within the health fraternity cluster.
KG: What is your word of advice to those who wish to venture into the ambulance service business?
DM: Do not be motivated with profits. First be motivated with the notion of saving lives and offering the best emergency medical services because the cake is there for everyone. So more players are needed in the market to make sure Zimbabweans are getting the best medical services our country has to offer.
KG: What opportunities does this industry present to youths and women?
DM: I believe employment creation has been one of our most visible and undeniable trademarks. We have presented job opportunities to more than 100 youths within the organisation with a ratio of 60% women.
KG: Is it easy to penetrate this industry?
DM: We believe the easy of doing business in our country has made it conducive for all sectors and the hardest part is strategic planning and understanding market dynamics in terms of brand visibility and brand awareness. Otherwise it’s a level playing field for all.
KG: What measures have you put in place to guard against pilferage?
DM: Our enterprise resource planning information technology solution looks at strictly analysing our operational value chain, thereby mitigating pilferage. LOCAL emergency services provider, Discovery Ambulance Emergency Services, recently repackaged its subscription products to make them affordable and accessible. The monthly emergency subscription fee package for a smart save product is US$1 per person per month. Our business reporter Kudakwashe Gwabanayi (KG) sat down with the company’s founder and chief executive officer David Munowenyu (DM, pictured) to get more insights into this programme. The conversation also touched on challenges and opportunities found in emergency services. Find below excerpts of the interview:
KG: Tell us about your US$1 per person programme, which you launched recently?
DM: Discovery Ambulance Services is a new player in the emergency medical services sector. Our goal is to augment government and other players' efforts in delivering affordable ambulance solutions hence we came up with a product, asking as little as US$1. Our motto, "Every Life Matters and Every Second Counts," drives our passion to quickly respond to emergency calls in the shortest period.
KG: How does it work?
DM: We are saying you pay a dollar per month to secure your 24/7 emergency cover and the annual fee is US$12. We have a free line, which is 991. Once you subscribe, you also get unlimited free tuberculosis checks and inter-hospital transfers within 40km among other benefits. Because we are dealing with a large clientele, we have metaphored the package to accommodate groups like churches, schools, miners and so on. We have committed ourselves to continuously develop this product to suit every customer's need.
KG: How would you describe emergency services uptake in Zimbabwe?
DM: Our decision to invest in the emergency medical services sector was guided by the widening gap to the affordability and accessibility of ambulances by the public. The players before us have done their part. Statistics shows us that 90% of Zimbabweans cannot afford the current medical aid package. Therefore, as Discovery Ambulance Services, we believe our product solution will bridge the gap and give each Zimbabwean peace of mind in knowing that there is an accessible emergency cover.
KG: So, what other products do you offer?
DM: We offer services from basic first aid training to emergency life support courses for non-medicals as first line responders. We also provide Medsport and events cover where we station a fully kitted ambulance with highly trained ambulance technicians to respond swiftly.
KG: You have spoken about accessibility to all. Our population is over 16 million. How do you intend on achieving this?
DM: We have already invested in more than 25 ambulances that are already operational. We intend to increase this fleet to over 100 ambulances by end of this year. The goal is to cover all provinces. Right now we are present in Bindura, Bulawayo, Harare, Mutare and Masvingo. Our next stop will be Gweru where we are launching our ambulance service early next month. We have also invested in disaster management vehicles that can ferry at least six casualties at once in the event of accidents and natural disasters.
KG: For the interest of Zimbabweans, how did you come up with the idea of an ambulance service? It is an industry that has so many barriers to entry, including high costs in building a fleet?
DM: In response to the presidential call under the mantra ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’, my passion and experience and exposure, having worked with international emergency ambulance service providers, drove me to invest in this business. I am very cognisant of the huge investment required and am very up to fulfilling the task and I have recruited a team of highly skilled, business and medical practitioners to successfully operationalise the business. Our robust information technology and business intelligence act as a hedge to deliver success.
KG: The country recently launched a new currency, the ZiG. There are fears it may lose value. Again, the use of multi-currency is set to end by 2030. Don’t you think the currency issue will affect your business?
DM: The economic system of introducing our own currency is a micro solution to ensure stability for any developing economy. As business, we must show agility and adaptability to the changing environment and I must say we have confidence in our local currency, and we are accepting it as a method of payment.
KG: Do you think emergency services are a strategic investment for companies in Zimbabwe?
DM: Yes, it is a strategic investment for investors because there is a huge gap.
However, it does require heavy investment in equipment, infrastructure, human capital and intellectual property. Countries like Singapore have been able to write their success stories through the informal sectors, hence we are saying emergency services are a strategic investment because we intend to take care of our labour force, including those in the informal sector, as a way of guarding jealously the country's skill set.
KG: Where do you see your company in the next five years?
DM: As a complete affordable medical solutions provider within the health fraternity cluster.
KG: What is your word of advice to those who wish to venture into the ambulance service business?
DM: Do not be motivated with profits. First be motivated with the notion of saving lives and offering the best emergency medical services because the cake is there for everyone. So more players are needed in the market to make sure Zimbabweans are getting the best medical services our country has to offer.
KG: What opportunities does this industry present to youths and women?
DM: I believe employment creation has been one of our most visible and undeniable trademarks. We have presented job opportunities to more than 100 youths within the organisation with a ratio of 60% women.
KG: Is it easy to penetrate this industry?
DM: We believe the easy of doing business in our country has made it conducive for all sectors and the hardest part is strategic planning and understanding market dynamics in terms of brand visibility and brand awareness. Otherwise it’s a level playing field for all.
KG: What measures have you put in place to guard against pilferage?
DM: Our enterprise resource planning information technology solution looks at strictly analysing our operational value chain, thereby mitigating pilferage.
