As the world celebrated the International Workers’ Day on Wednesday, medical professionals in Zimbabwe spoke out against the dire working conditions within the healthcare sector.
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) urged the government to address health and safety concerns of health professionals.
This year’s commemorations are focused on ‘ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate’,” said the ZADHR in a statement.
“In commemorating this day, ZADHR laments the state of our public health delivery system and the exposure of health professionals to harm in their line of duty,” the statement continued.
Doctors in Zimbabwe have long demanded improvements to their working environments, citing the dangers they face due to inadequate equipment and poor working conditions.
Public hospitals in the country, which the majority of citizens rely on, are often short of medical supplies, hindering the effective delivery of services.
Zimbabwe has a history of cracking down on dissent, and healthcare professionals have previously faced arrest and intimidation for speaking out against the government’s handling of the healthcare system.
Despite this, the ZADHR urged the government to implement concrete measures to transform Zimbabwe’s healthcare system for the better.
“For years, health workers in Zimbabwe have clamored for a health service and health workplace that promotes and protects their rights through strengthening infection control protocols and associated provisions for infection control such as personal protective equipment,” ZADHR said.
“Effective infection control protocols will not only make the workplace a safe place but will contribute to boosting the moral and mental health of health professionals, which have been dented by poor remuneration, dilapidated infrastructure, equipment, and shortage of drugs and sundries
“In marking this day, ZADHR continues to urge the government to address the health and safety concerns of health professionals to prioritize the health and wellbeing of health professionals,” the statement added.