Striking doctors vow to press ahead with industrial action

By Tichaona Sibanda
17 July 06

The walkout by junior doctors which began last week Wednesday has almost paralysed all health institutons in the country, a senior doctor told us Monday. Dr Douglas Gwatidzo, who is also with the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights told us the strike by the doctors was impacting negatively on the private sector. He confirmed ‘things were tight’. ‘The private sector is now feeling the effects of this strike and I am currently trying to make contact with the junior doctors to hear their side of the story. The information I have now is sketchy but we want to hear from them to chart a way forward,’ Dr Gwatidzo said.

The doctors are demanding better salaries and working conditions as well as the immediate issuance of "certificates of good standing" on completion of their two-year housemanship.

The doctors are also against forced deployment to district hospitals, where there are no drugs, equipment or decent accommodation. For the past four days, Harare and Parirenyatwa, United Bulawayo Hospitals and Mpilo hospitals have only been attending to emergency cases. Casualty departments at Harare and Parirenyatwa hospitals were virtually deserted and patients were being turned away over the weekend.

Kudakwashe Nyamutukwa, the president of the Hospital Doctors’ Association, has said the doctors would only return to work when their grievances are addressed.

He said junior doctors were earning Z$57 million a month and getting a car allowance of $50 million. As a result, Nyamutukwa said, most of them cannot afford decent accommodation, a vehicle or ‘live a life which tallies with their social status’.

Edwin Muguti, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare, told the Herald Sunday the striking doctors should return to work while government addressed their grievances.

‘We are sympathetic to their cause but I urge them to go back to work while we look into their grievances. They, however, should have followed the right channels before going on strike,’ Muguti said.