SENIOR doctors at public hospitals yesterday downed tools
as they declared incapacitation, joining their junior counterparts who have
been protesting for over a month, in another blow to an already stuttering
public health sector.
The latest development is set to plunge the health delivery
system further into chaos with patients bearing the brunt of the deadlock
between the doctors and their employer.
A senior doctor at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals told
NewsDay that they could no longer perform their duties due to incapacitation
caused by erosion of their meagre salaries.
“Since there has been no communication from the Health
ministry following our communication on Tuesday which warned of this, we are
withdrawing our services,” the doctor, who requested anonymity for professional
reasons, said.
The source, however, said they were more than ready to meet
with their employer for further negotiations.
“We are awaiting the formal communication from the
ministry, then as senior doctors, we will meet to discuss,” the doctor added.
Yesterday, the situation at public health institutions such
as Parirenyatwa and Harare Central hospitals was dire as patients milled around
with no one to attend to them.
Some who had come as early as 8am were still to be attended
to by mid-day.
The casualty department was full to capacity with some
patients having spent days coming to the facility.
At Chitungwiza Central Hospital, only emergency cases were
being attended to. “The only cases being attended to are the emergency ones,”
said a source.
Commenting on the situation, Parirenyatwa Hospital
spokesperson Linos Dhire appealed to the negotiating parties to resolve the
sticking issues without delay.
“The situation on the ground requires some urgent
compromise. We believe that the common denominator in the negotiations should
be the best interests of the patient,” he said.
Health Services Board (HSB) chairperson Paulinas Sikhosana
said efforts had been made to engage doctors together with the rest of the
other health workers’ associations in collective bargaining for cost of living
adjustment (Cola).
“Doctors are part of the bipartite negotiations which took
place in September with regards to Cola and an agreement was made, which the
doctors later disowned after the signing of the same agreement,” he said.
“One of the key issues of the Cola agreement was that
engagements would continue on health specific allowances.”
Government, later in another meeting, offered a review of
all the health specific allowances, but the workers immediately rejected it.
The same meeting then agreed to establish a technical
committee mandated to further work on an alternative framework of reviewing all
health specific allowances, a framework which is now under consideration by
government.
Sikhosana said the HSB has an open door policy for dialogue
outside the negotiation forum and that the senior doctors were welcome.
“We had an informal meeting to discuss issues on Cola and
its payment. The health workers demanded a review of the health specific
allowances. The HSB is presently seized with this matter and has engaged
Treasury,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Health ministry secretary Agnes
Mahomva said she was in a meeting and had not responded to question sent to her
by the time of going to print.
Government recently warned that it would withdraw salaries
for the striking doctors, but the latter laughed off the threat. Newsday
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