A scam has been unearthed in which some fraudsters, with intent to defraud innocent people, are conducting public campaigns online, in Churches, at funerals and other public gatherings, masquerading as Contractors and Employers looking for people to work in Mines.
The Scammers are deceptively recruiting individuals and asking them to pay for Medical Fitness Examinations, commonly known as Silicos Exams, which they are claiming to have access to.
The Occupational Health and Safety Institute-OHSI, in the first quarter of the year 2025, received more than Two Hundred (200) cases of people being scammed on the Copperbelt and North Western Provinces.
OHSI would like to provide the following guidance:
- OHSI does not have agents to receive money or conduct Medical Examinations of its behalf.
- OHSI does not receive Medical Fitness Examination Fees via Mobile Money. Medical Fees are paid in Cash at the OHSI Cashier’s offices in Kitwe, Lusaka and Solwezi, after which a receipt is generated and issued to the payer.
- OHSI Fees are stipulated as follows;
03.1. Ordinary (Pre-Employment Examination) : K680.00
03.2. Express (Pre-Employment Examination) : K930.00
03.3. Periodical (In-Employment Examination) : K491.00
03.4. Exit Medical Examination (Discharge) : K806.00
03.5. Post-Employment Examination (Ex-Miners) : K806.00
03.6. Post-Mortem Examination-Lung Histology :K806.00
03.7. Post-Mortem Examination-Heart Histology :K806.00
03.8. Post-Mortem Examination-Lung Histology :K806.00
The Occupational Health and Safety Institute-OHSI conducts Medical Examinations at its permanent facilities in Kitwe, Solwezi and Lusaka, but also conducts outstation examinations at the selected premises of an Employer after a formal agreement to the their request.
OHSI has warned people not to fall prey to scammers when information about the Institute’s operations is readily available.
The Institution has appealed to individuals approached by suspected scammers to quickly report to the nearest Police Station or call OHSI on 0750 125 258.