More health professionals join doctors strike

By Tichaona Sibanda

24 January 2007

Parirenyatwa hospital’s allied health professionals have joined the doctors strike amid reports consultants are considering joining the walk-out that has paralysed the country’s health sector.

Kudakwashe Nyamutukwa, President of the Hospital Doctors Association told us from Harare that support staff such as paramedics, radiographers and physiotherapists joined in on Wednesday. This leaves the country’s health delivery system teetering on the verge of a complete meltdown.

‘Nothing has changed we are still on strike and the only significant thing to happen today (Wednesday) is that other allied health professionals from Parirenyatwa have joined us,’ Nyamutukwa said.

Reports in the capital said consultants, fed up with the stalemate between government and the junior doctors, were also contemplating downing their tools. The President of the Zimbabwe ’s Doctors for Human Rights issued a stark warning on Tuesday that senior consultants currently holding fort in the absence of junior doctors were no longer coping with the extra workload.

Dr Douglas Gwatidzo told us the standoff between government and the junior doctors spells doom for the whole nation if it is not resolved soon.

He said consultants currently manning the country’s major hospitals have become so overwhelmed some are working daylong shifts without a break.

A London based Zimbabwean doctor warned that a walk out by consultants will cause chaos that could easily lead to riots.

‘In the health sector, no other individual is superior to others. Paramedics are just as important as doctors. Pharmacists are equally important so are other support structures like physiotherapists, nurses and laboratory technicians. If these people join then the government is in trouble,’ said the doctor who asked not to be named.

The doctors strike is now in its fifth week and there seems to be no compromise in sight from both parties.