Matabeleland hospitals management accused of abusing local drawn staff

HOSPITAL across Matabeleland region who have management from Mashonaland are reportedly to be rocked by serious tribalism and nepotism with the management being accused of abusing most local drawn members of staff.

This was revealed by the Mthwakazi Republic Party member Mbonisi Solomon Gumbo who said after his party exposed Engutsheni Hospital unfair employment procedure the party has received calls from across the region o people complaining over the abuse by managements from Mashonaland

"We have been inundated with calls from different hospitals within Matabeleland by our people crying foul over the treatment they are getting from most of Management from Mashonaland. The complaints range from unfair dismissals, deliberately frustrating our people, unilateral transferring of our people from department to department or even far, removing our people from lucrative departments where there is donor funding, denying our people from further training within the system even when they apply they are always overlooked, denying our people promotions while clandestinely promoting their own, some of whom do not even qualify. That nonsense must stop," he said.

"Of particular concern is the situation at the United's Bulawayo Hospitals. Today we had an opportunity to visit the Hospital where  we met and spoke to several nurses and senior nurses to get first-hand information and experience  of how things are being done there."  

He said the key complaints are that there is no clear procedure they use to change people from one department to another, a loophole which have been used there by the Principal Nursing Officer at UBH a Clara Chivonivoni to victimize those she doesn't like as well as protecting those she likes by preventing and protecting them from going to those departments which are viewed as either too risky, dirty, difficult, un lucrative and so on.

"There has been an outcry as to why most of the Ndebele managers moved to covid centre that is Richard Morris and the newly opened Ekusileni Hospital which is yet to be functional, of particular concern is the fact that there are some people who voluntarily applied for Covid-19 transfers but they were not allowed to move. One then wonders what is the criteria for transfers and what is it based on if not tribalism, nepotism or pure hate?" he said.

"The managers who are being moved by force at short notice never applied for any transfers. The question therefore is why not allow those who applied for the covid posts whether as sisters in charges or just nurses go there? Why is it that those who had applied for covid posts are not the ones who have been appointed to the posts that they had applied for?"

He said one wonders if that Richard Morris is an ideal ward to nurse covid patients, does it have adequate staff and PPEs? In the event that the nurses have been infected is there any measures being put in place to ensure their safety and or stopping the spread thereof?

"Why stigmatise covid and put Ndebele managers and most of the staff being from Matabeleland, only in those risky areas? How come other Shona Sisters-in-charges have stayed in one department for more than five to ten years while our people are tossed to and from?" he said.

 "One of the affected nurses who spoke to us on condition of anonymity had this to say "Even if  the management say it is their area of speciality why is it that a sister in charge who is theatre trained is moved from theatre to a covid centre without their consent and even knowledge of the virus they are dealing with"?"

Gumbo said there has been questions as to why is it that the responsible authorities have rushed to transfer staff to Ekusileni Hospital just so they can be spending time seated when there is a shortage of staff at UBH?.

"Some nurses who spoke to us also raised concerns about a situation where one nurse from Matabeleland at UBH who is suffering from multiple life-threatening diseases was recently deployed to the covid risky area to be the one testing everyone who comes in, while Mrs Chivonivoni took able-bodied personal to work in office just because they are her friends. One wonders why wouldn't such a person be instead deployed elsewhere safe? "