Doctors’ strike enters second week
The strike by junior doctors entered its second week yesterday, with negotiations between the medical practitioners and government said to be moving at a slow pace.
More than 300 doctors in government hospitals downed their tools last Monday, demanding an urgent review of their salaries and improved working conditions.
They want their basic salary increased from $282 to $1 200 monthly.
The Health Services Board (HSB), however, said the salaries can only be reviewed next year and is pinning hopes on the national budget to be presented on November 27.
HSB public pelations officer Nyasha Maravanyika was quoted by ZBC News saying after the meeting that junior doctors’ representatives and the deputy minister of Finance and Economic Development, Samuel Undenge, on October 28 made a commitment saying government was hoping to review upwards the salaries of all workers in the health sector.
No comment could be obtained from Health minister David Parirenyatwa and his deputy Paul Chimedza as their mobile phones were out of reach last night.
In a statement last night, Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) executive condemned the slow pace of negotiations, adding that doctors would only go back to work if the government showed a commitment to deliver on its promises.
“ZHDA wishes to condemn the current snail pace of negotiations whilst the ordinary citizens are suffering, children dying, women giving still births and the sick are helplessly returned to their homes without any solutions in sight.
“Zimbabwe has ratified several treaties in which the right to health is enshrined. Our new constitution also guarantees every Zimbabwean the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
“As the ZHDA, the interests of patients is of paramount importance and to date ZHDA has extended the open hand of practical negotiations to the government. The relevant authorities should now urgently intervene to avert unnecessary suffering and loss of lives of innocent citizens.
“The ZHDA will always be trigger ready to mobilise all striking doctors back to their stations once and only if the government shows its commitment to deliver on its promises,” read the statement.
The ZHDA also deplored the situation in hospitals which they said was as a result of the strike.
Most patients are reportedly being turned away from the casualty and outpatients departments despite having been referred from lower health centers.
“For instance, at Parirenyatwa hospital most elective theatre cases have been cancelled indefinitely whilst the paediatric emergency department is literally closed down. In most medical wards like ward C8 which normally accommodates over 40 patients only five patients were in the ward,” read the ZHDA statement
“In the casualty departments and in A1 where emergencies are usually attended to, a few nurses are seen helplessly returning patients home or to private institutions whilst only cases deemed to be dire emergencies are admitted.
“At Harare Hospital, the situation is the same with most medical wards being empty.” The Zimbabwe Mail
