Fired government doctors have said they will not reapply
for their jobs and have instead asked Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga to
first address their concerns as well as the chaos that is prevailing in public
health institutions.
The Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors’ Association (ZHDA) urged
Chiwenga to bring normalcy to the healthcare system which has seen most
hospitals shutting down their major service departments.
Chiwenga, who quietly jetted into the country on Saturday
after spending almost four months in China where he was being treated for an
unknown illness, is now faced with a massive mission of reassembling the
collapsing health sector.
He, however, upon his arrival, did not have any kind words
for striking civil servants, including the doctors.
Chiwenga also became infamous early this year when he fired
more than 16 000 nurses.
“It is our sincere hope that the Vice-President will now
take the opportunity to look into the Zimbabwean healthcare system and get
things back to normal beginning with ensuring decent salaries for health staff
working towards uplifting our system to first class standards,” the doctors’
grouping posted on its official Twitter account.
The doctors have also said they will not reapply for their
jobs and will instead wait for the government to reinstate them.
Acting secretary-general Tawanda Zvakada told NewsDay that
the decision was made unanimously by the members.
“The message from the constituency is that no one will
reapply and government should instead reinstate us as per our signed
contracts,” he said.
Self-exiled doctor Peter Magombeyi, who was abducted and
tortured a few months ago by suspected State security agents and later ferried
to South Africa for treatment also tweeted that none of the doctors will
re-apply for their jobs.
Magombeyi whose location remains unknown and shrouded in
speculation has not returned since he went for medical treatment in South
Africa.
“As doctors, we are cocksure that our future is bright; no
one will reapply for the job. These are bread and butter issues. To our
patients, we love you all,” he said.
This follows sentiments by the Acting Information,
Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Mangaliso Ndlovu during a Cabinet
briefing last week that the government would not budge on its decision of
relieving 400 doctors of their duties.
He instead said if the doctors so wished they should
reapply.
The doctors have cited incapacitation and following a
protracted battle with their employer, they were dragged to the Labour Court
where they lost their case.
They were later served with letters to appear for
disciplinary hearings which they snubbed, resulting in the government firing
435 doctors.
Senior government officials, however, have been berated for
becoming medical tourists while the rest of the country has had to contend with
the local facilities which are ill-equipped and have no drugs, inadequate
personnel as well as equipment for various medical procedures.
The facilities do not even have basic medication like pain
killers. Hardest hit are pregnant women who have now resorted to giving birth
outside hospitals. Newsday
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