Nurses unmoved by govt threats

NURSES have urged the government to desist from issuing threats whenever they raise issues to do with remuneration and poor working conditions.

Speaking to NewsDay yesterday ahead of the International Nurses Day today, Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Enock Dongo implored the government to be sincere in wage negotiations because health workers face several challenges that threaten their livelihoods.

"The little strides are not in any way improving the odious state of the health system or the deplorable conditions of the health workers. We call upon the government to be sincere and dump the sickening penchant of shifting goalposts whenever engagements which revolve around remuneration are in motion. We sincerely urge our leaders to desist from threats, insensitivity and hypocrisy," Dongo said.

He said the Nurses Day celebrations would be a painful reminder of their poor working conditions.

"We demand remuneration which is in tandem with, or is way above the poverty datum line. Morale has hit rock bottom in the health sector due to government insensitivity when it comes to the grievances of the health workers. There is nothing to celebrate honestly on this day.

"As we commemorate this special day for the health workers, we are in pain due to the continuing brain drain currently occurring in the sector. Specialist health workers continue to migrate from our nation to either regional or European nations in search of greener pastures. Our leadership should be alive to this sickening reality and move with speed to curb the brain drain, which is now a festering nemesis.  It should be addressed before the quality of the health system is further compromised," he said.