Source: Doctors threaten crippling strike – DailyNews Live
Tendai Kamhungira 2 December 2018
HARARE – Doctors have threatened to unfurl a crippling strike citing
unfavourable economic conditions that have virtually wiped off their
salaries.
Mxolisi Ngwenya, spokesperson of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctor’ Association
(ZHDA), told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that the doctors are not
happy with a number of issues that include unfulfilled promises, as well
as the unsustainable salaries.
“Doctors are very much disgruntled with the situation…talks have been
going on for a long time with government, however, there has been no
tangible output. A lot of members are contemplating on embarking on an
industrial action,” Ngwenya said, adding that the initial plans were to
officially start the industrial action yesterday.
He said the disgruntlement within the sector is palpable. Among some of
the issues that the doctors are complaining about is the lack of proper
equipment in hospitals, price increases of basic commodities against
eroded RTGS salaries and the move by government to charge duty on car
imports in foreign currency.
Ngwenya said some doctors had already stopped reporting for duty in some
institutions.
“I have, however, received reports that some members have already started
their industrial action, saying that they have no fuel or bus fare to
report to their work stations,” he said.
Government has always been at loggerheads with doctors over unfulfilled
promises.
Efforts to get a comment from Health minister Obadiah Moyo, could not
yield results yesterday.
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