MPILO Central Hospital nurses yesterday demonstrated
against the chief executive officer Mr Leonard Mabandi’s directive for them to
start working four-day shifts instead of the two days they agreed on with the
Government.
Nurses used to work seven days a week but adopted the
two-day weekly shifts due to incapacitation.
The Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association (Zina) signed an agreement
with the Government last year which gave provision for nurses to work two days
of 12-hour shifts per week, which are flexible working hours that were also
adopted by staff in other health institutions.
The nurses however said Mr Mabandi issued a circular on
Monday last week instructing them to revert to a four-day weekly shift despite
their agreement with the Government.
Hospital business came to a standstill as nurses staged a
four-hour protest between 8AM and 12pm yesterday.
They stood at the administration block where Mr Mabandi’s
office is, chanted slogans against the CEO, who is said to be in Harare.
It was a sea of white as nurses waved placards with
messages that read: “No to slavery, Asidli Vaya (we don’t eat Vaya – a
reference to $1 transport that the hospital organised for workers to cushion
them against $7 charged by kombis).”
In an interview
during the demonstration, Zina provincial chairperson, Mr Nicholas Chidora said
since last week the nurses were being forced to work for four days.
During the demonstration the nurses accused the CEO along
with the Administration department of mismanagement.
“Zina last year
agreed with the Government to allow nurses to work for two days of 12-hour
shifts. We adopted the working schedule which was agreed by Government during the period when the
doctors were on strike.
“However, on Monday last week Mr Mabandi issued a circular
instructing nurses to go back to normal duties without even addressing our
issues. As nurses we are demonstrating today to send a message that we will not
revert to the normal working hours until the institution addresses our
grievances as nurses,” said Mr Chidora.
He said nurses were working under very difficult conditions
as a result of shortage of resources.
“The hospital is not adequately prepared for any
emergencies including coronavirus itself. As nurses we have not undergone
training to equip us with adequate knowledge about the virus and how to address
it.
“I can tell you that in the event that there is an outbreak
of the virus today, the patients will suffer because the institution is not
well prepared for it. This is a very infectious environment but we are forced
to work without resources to protect ourselves from the infections,” said Mr
Chidora.
President Mnangagwa has restricted international travel
especially outside Africa, while civil servants have been banned from foreign
trips as Government takes measures to minimise the risk of exposure to
Covid-19, which is caused by coronavirus.
In Zimbabwe more than 6 000 people have been screened of
the virus at ports of entry, mainly Robert Gabriel Mugabe International and
Victoria Falls International airports. All 26 ports, eight of which are
airports and 18 inland border posts, have screening facilities.
The concern by Mpilo nurses comes at a time when South
Africa reported yesterday that it now has seven confirmed cases of coronavirus.
According to the Sabc, the four new
cases were among the group of people who were travelling from Italy.
In Zimbabwe, the Chinese government has committed to
upgrading facilities at Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital which will be
used as a centre to quarantine and treat patients in case of an out break in
Bulawayo and is doing the same for Wilkins Hospital in Harare.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting CEO Mr Thomas Nyikadzino
referred questions to Mr Mabandi who could not be reached on his mobile phone.
Chronicle
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