Zimbabwe pledges swift action on nurses' grievances

In a proactive move to address escalating concerns within Zimbabwe's public healthcare system, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, on Friday visited Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to engage directly with frontline medical personnel on key issues affecting their welfare and service delivery.

The visit follows widespread reports of dissatisfaction among healthcare workers over poor remuneration, inadequate transport and accommodation provisions, and challenging working conditions.

During a candid meeting with nurses, doctors, and hospital administrators, healthcare workers laid bare their grievances, calling on the government to urgently intervene and improve their living and working conditions.

"We have a lot of issues we want the government to address. We are struggling to feed our children," said one nurse. "We are patriotic Zimbabweans, which is why we continue to serve here, but we want our working conditions to be improved. We thank the minister for taking time to come and listen to us, and we hope, as he promised, these issues will be addressed."

Dr Mombeshora acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns raised and affirmed the government's commitment to constructive engagement and policy-based solutions.

"This meeting was necessitated by the reports I received regarding grievances from the nursing community here at Parirenyatwa Hospital," he said. "They had raised these issues with the Chief Medical Officer and the Health Service Commission, but I felt there was a gap in communication. I have an open-door policy, and I talk to everyone regardless of rank - that's why I came here."

The minister added that key grievances centered on inadequate earnings, transportation difficulties, poor accommodation, and workplace challenges.

"We are exploring how to improve allowances to ensure healthcare workers can better support their families," he said.

In addition to worker welfare, staff also highlighted the dire shortage of hospital equipment, sundries, drugs, and the poor state of infrastructure. One nurse described the minister's visit as "the first step" toward resolving long-standing challenges, expressing hope for meaningful reforms.

The minister's visit is part of broader government efforts to overhaul Zimbabwe's healthcare system. A recent milestone includes a landmark health cooperation agreement signed with Belarus during President Emmerson Mnangagwa's state visit to Minsk. The deal will see Parirenyatwa Hospital benefit from a targeted transformation programme focusing on infrastructure rehabilitation, medical equipment upgrades, and enhanced international partnerships in medical training and service delivery.

Dr Mombeshora's hands-on approach has been widely seen as a positive shift in government responsiveness, raising hopes among healthcare workers that their voices are finally being heard.