District, provincial doctors join strike

District and provincial doctors have joined the strike which was triggered by junior doctors three weeks ago, a development that has further strained the already compromised health delivery system in the country.

After a meeting by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Health Service Director and representatives from the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) held on Monday failed to come up with a way forward, district and provincial doctors have now also downed their stethoscopes and are now on strike.

Most district hospitals across the country are manned by one or two doctors which make the patient-doctor ratio inappropriate, and the latest development has almost paralysed the health delivery system.

ZHDA secretary general Dr Farai Makoni said the association has since written letters to all provincial medical directors countrywide outlining the position of district and provincial doctors.

"The latest development which is threatening the country's health delivery system has been caused by the inability by the government to resolve doctors' grievances," he said.

Meanwhile, a cross section of Zimbabweans have urged the government to address the issue of striking doctors as a matter of urgency as many lives are being lost due to the shortage of doctors in the country's government institutions.

Since October the 27th when junior doctors embarked on an industrial action pressing for a pay rise and a review of their housing, transport and risk allowances, the government has not yet addressed the concerns raised.

On Friday last week, middle level and senior doctors who had taken over the duties of the junior doctors joined the strike.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care had been pinning hopes of a solution on the Monday meeting that, however, failed to yield any positive outcome.