GOVERNMENT yesterday fired 211 doctors at public hospitals
for going o strike to demand better pay, with another 500 at risk.
Doctors have been on strike since September 3 demanding
salaries that are indexed to the United States dollar to escape triple digit
inflation that has ravaged wages.
The Health Services Board fired the doctors after holding
disciplinary hearings which the striking doctors did not attend and said it
planned to hold another round of hearings for at least 516 out of the 1 601
doctors employed in the public sector.
The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, which represents
junior and mid-level doctors, has accused government of intimidation to force
its members to return to work.
Health Services Board (HSB) executive chairman, Paulinus
Sikosana yesterday said the disciplinary hearings were set to continue.
“To date, 279 doctors have been served with charge letters,
213 hearings completed and 211 doctors found guilty of absenting themselves
from duty without leave or reasonable cause for days ranging from five or
more,” he said.
“The 211 doctors found guilty have been discharged from the
health service. Three doctors appeared in person before the disciplinary
tribunals and two doctors had their determinations reserved pending
verification of their cases.”
Sikosana said at meetings aimed at ending the impasse,
doctors had “demanded the pegging of their salaries to the prevailing interbank
rate as a precondition for their return to work.”
Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic crisis in a decade,
with inflation, estimated at 353% in September, playing havoc with salaries and
prices.
Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive
director, Itai Rusike said the decision by government was very frustrating
considering efforts made to facilitate dialogue with hope of reaching an
amicable decision that is comfortable for both parties.
“We have been facilitating dialogue for the past two weeks
only to wake up to this. How do you negotiate for dialogue when on the other
hand you are holding a knobkerrie? The government is not sincere and its
attitude is uncalled for and unnecessary,” Rusike said.
“This intimidatory attitude is not the way to go. The
Constitution gives them the right to withdraw their labour and firing the
doctors in a country with poor health standards will not improve the
situation.”
He said they had done their part in trying to get the two
parties to dialogue in search of a solution to the impasse.
“We thought that the government was going to set aside the
hearings and uphold dialogue. Without human resources we cannot achieve
universal health coverage,” he said.
ZHDA executive members said they were not commenting on the
latest developments for fear of victimisation.
“Senior doctors remain incapacitated and hospital drugs and
equipment remain inadequate. No meaningful service is being offered at central
hospitals,” the union said in a statement.
“Training of both undergraduate and postgraduate doctors
has been severely impacted by lack of clinical teaching.
“Flexi-hour system remains in place as policy. This has
greatly affected quality and continuity of patient care Junior and middle level
doctors have been dismissed from work for not being able to report for duty due
to incapacitation. Some on maternity leave and others who are training outside
the country have also been served with letters accusing them of absenteeism.
ZHDA said the ‘punitive disciplinary hearings’ should stop
while the dismissals must be reversed.
“Robust dialogue in good faith should take place with key
stakeholders to help direct the capacitation of the workers and the public
health institutions. These must be given timelines to yield results,” ZHDA
said. Newsday
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