Opposition MDC calls for dialogue between doctors and government

By Tichaona Sibanda

27 July 2006

The MDC Secretary for Health, Dr Henry Madzorere has called upon the striking doctors and government to sit down and resolve the impasse as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the health delivery system.The country’s junior doctors have been on strike for the last three weeks demanding better remuneration, improved working conditions and a repeal of a new law that instructs the medical and dental practitioners’ council not to issue them certificates of good standing.

The doctors resolved on Wednesday to continue with the strike amid suspicion that government had adopted ‘a wait and see attitude’ in the belief the industrial action will crumble.

President of the Hospitals Doctors Association Dr Kuda Nyamutukwa told us Wednesday that Health authorities had ‘stretched their patience to the limit’ and as a result agreed unanimously to fight to the end regardless of loss of human life. He said they regretted any casualties as a result of the strike, but said if government cared about the welfare of its citizens, they should swallow their pride and look at the doctors’ grievances as a matter of urgency.

Dr Henry Madzorere, from the Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC said it is unfortunate that patients were suffering as a result of the strike but sympathised with the doctors as the same time saying they had genuine reasons to take industrial action.

‘While we sympathise with the patients who are suffering, we also have to sympathise with the doctors who are being short-changed by the government,’ Dr Madzorere said.