Parirenyatwa goes on leave in the middle of crisis

By Tichaona Sibanda
22 January 2007

Health Minister David Parirenyatwa has taken time off from work at the height of a crippling strike by doctors and nurses in the country.

President of the Hospitals Doctors Association, Kudakwashe Nyamutukwa, told us that in his absence Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi (a doctor by profession) has taken over the role of negotiating with the striking doctors.

Nyamutukwa said contrary to reports carried in the government media last week, the authorities had fired no doctors or nurses. But it is the timing of Parirenyatwa’s decision to take his annual leave that has caused a stir, both in government and among the doctors.

A source said Parirenyatwa has allegedly lost the confidence of his cabinet colleagues to deal with the issue, fuelling reports that Robert Mugabe could have elbowed him off the case following a series of misleading statements from Health authorities.

The strike by at least 145 junior doctors from the country’s major hospitals is now in its fifth week, crippling the health delivery system. The doctors want a near-hundred fold pay increase. They currently earn Z$56,000 (US$224 at the official exchange rate, less than US$20 at the parallel rate). They are demanding a salary of Z$5 million.

Calls by the government for the doctors to return to work have fallen on deaf ears as they have vowed to continue with the industrial action. Nyamutukwa said their position has always been clear that they will not budge until their demands are met.

‘The sad thing is that government is not serious. How else can you explain Parirenyatwa going on leave at this moment in time? Most doctors have lost faith in him. Last time the government ended up sending the army commander to threaten the doctors to go back to work. This time they have asked the Defence Minister to take over, it shows government does not trust the health minister to come up with a solution,’ Nyamutukwa said.

He added that as far as he was concerned no contact has been made yet by Sekeramayi but that doctors were willing to hear what he has to offer.