Mohadi order doctors to go back to work

Government has ordered striking junior doctors to return to work following its final offer reviewing conditions of service for health services' staff.

This comes as the situation in the public health institutions remained dire.

Addressing journalists at a Press conference in Harare yesterday, Vice President Kembo Mohadi, who chairs a Cabinet Committee on Health, said following consultations, Government understood the concerns raised by health workers and agreed to improve their conditions of service.

"We value the health of our people," he said. "I have been briefed about the industrial action by the responsible minister and I have also briefed my principal who agreed to review their conditions. The review that we have made is specifically for the health sector."

Speaking at the same occasion, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa reiterated Government's offer of a 50 percent upward review on call allowance, call-out allowance, night duty and payment of all outstanding locum claims.

He said Government had also reintroduced post-basic allowances for nursing staff who acquired approved additional qualifications, introduced nurse managers' allowance and availed a $10 million revolving loan facility.

Dr Parirenyatwa said since December, Government had disbursed $22 million for procurement of medicines and sundries, hospital equipment and reduction in cost of blood and blood products.

"We appreciate continued service provision under difficult circumstances by all health workers, including some junior doctors, senior doctors and nurses," he said.

"The Government has made this final offer as the new dispensation continues to work hard to improve the economy, whose benefits will accrue to all sectors, including health.

"We, therefore, expect all doctors who have withdrawn their services to report for duty with immediate effect."

But Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) spokesperson Dr Mxolisi Ngwenya accused Government of negotiating in bad faith.

"We met Government negotiators on the 15th of March, (at which time) they showed up three hours late for the meeting," he said. "They misrepresented minutes of the last meeting on March 6 2018 omitting issues that we had raised, hence we refused to pass them as accurate."

Dr Ngwenya said in the same meeting, the negotiators went on to claim that doctors worked 72 hours on call per month when in actual fact they worked 160 hours.

"Based on the hours they claimed doctors work per month, they insisted that we earn $5 per hour, which is not a true reflection of the situation on the ground because we earn $1,50 per hour and this is what we are saying should be increased to $10 an hour as agreed in 2014," he said.

Zimbabwe Medical Association president Dr Agnes Mahomva said while they did not condone strikes in the health sector, it was important to note that issues raised by the junior doctors were genuine and were the same issues raised by junior doctors each year.

A snap survey conducted by The Herald at Harare, Chitungwiza and Parirenyatwa hospitals showed that most beds in the wards were empty, while the few people who trickled to the outpatients department were being turned away.

The few doctors available were attending to emergency cases only.