03/12/2025
WHEN DID OUR 24-HOUR SURGERIES TURN INTO SALES PEOPLE?
There is a new trend happening in most 24-hour medical surgeries in Zimbabwe…
You go in with a simple flu, and suddenly you are treated like you have three hours left to live.
MY STORY: I WENT FOR FLU, THEY WANTED TO TURN ME INTO A PINCUSHION
I walked in with:
● sore throat
● blocked nose
● light headache
Simple flu, right?
The doctor looked at me like,
“Jerry, this is critical ICU material.”
Before I could even sneeze, he said:
“We need to give you three injections immediately.”
Three? For FLU?
Are we treating me or marinating me?
I politely refused because my flu was not even intense just annoying.
THEN I ASKED AROUND…
I spoke to friends, colleagues, staff members.
Guess what?
It’s the new normal.
Someone goes in coughing once → Three injections.
Someone sneezes loudly → Drip + Antibiotics + Vitamin pack.
Someone just accompanies a patient → “Ah since you’re here, let me inject you as well.”
A SAD CASE: WHAT HAPPENED TO ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS
One of my staff members also went to a clinic for a simple flu.
They gave her four injections like she was being vaccinated to go to the moon.
She developed blisters all over her body and was bedridden for three months.
FOUR injections → three months of suffering.
How many injections were necessary? Probably zero.
MEDICAL PRACTICE HAS BEEN PRIVATIZED
Let’s be honest.
The 24-hour clinic industry is now behaving like private businesses chasing targets.
● More injections = more money
● More operations = more money
● More drips = more money
● More tests = more money
Some clinics now remind me of aggressive sales teams.
I’m half-expecting one day to walk in and hear:
“Good afternoon Jerry, today’s special:
Buy 2 injections, get 1 FREE!”
Next thing you know, they introduce a loyalty card:
“Inject 10 times, get the 11th injection FREE!”
ARE DOCTORS DUMPING MEDICAL ETHICS FOR REVENUE?
This is the serious part.
Many medical practitioners are now:
● Over-prescribing medication
● Recommending unnecessary operations
● Giving injections for everything
● Pushing expensive treatments
Not because it’s medically required,
but because the clinic must “meet targets.”
It’s no longer “What does the patient need?”
It’s now “How much can we bill this patient before they escape?”
WHEN DOCTORS START ASKING JERRY FOR SALES TRAINING…
Some doctors are now even approaching me saying:
“Jerry, please train us on how to increase our sales.”
Sales?
Me?
Training DOCTORS on closing deals?
Imagine going for treatment and hearing:
“Mr. Nyazungu, I’m giving you this drip because I used the SPIN Selling technique and discovered your pain points.”
Or worse:
“Jerry, this operation is urgent.
If you sign today, we give you 10% discount!”
WE CAN STILL MAKE MONEY ETHICALLY
This is my message to all medical professionals:
You can increase revenue WITHOUT compromising ethics.
You can:
● Improve customer service
● Reduce waiting times
● Build trust
● Educate patients
● Follow-up after treatment
● Invest in good bedside manners
● Improve patient experience
People WILL come back.
They WILL refer others.
You WILL grow.
You don’t need to overdose the nation with injections to hit targets.
THE DANGER: LIFE IS NOT A SALES TARGET
When a salesperson makes a mistake, a client loses money.
When a doctor makes a mistake, a life is affected.
Over-injecting people, unnecessary operations, aggressive billing…
It may increase today’s revenue,
but it destroys trust,
and trust is the very foundation of medicine.
MY HUMBLE ADVICE
As someone who works with businesses,
I understand targets, revenue, upselling, and cashflow.
But medicine is not like selling sofas or boreholes.
It is a sacred profession.
And if we privatize it too much…
we turn healing into harvesting
If you want sales training, entrepreneurship coaching, strategy formulation, or you simply want to build a business that grows ethically and consistently get in touch with us. Let’s help you strengthen your systems, boost your revenue, and build a brand people trust.
+263 77 961 9739 | +260 972 936 033
By The Chartered Vendor
