The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has told its members
employed by the Government to end their industrial action and immediately start
reporting for work.
ZINA yesterday also endorsed plans announced this week, to
restructure the Ministry of Health and Child Care, saying it wanted to give the
Government a chance to address their concerns.
ZINA secretary-general Mr Enock Dongo told The Herald that
they had communicated with their members to start reporting for duty if they
could raise money for transport.
This position paves the way for the end of the industrial
action which began on June 18.
“We have told our members to start reporting for duty if
they are able to subsidise the Government by raising bus fare. Most of our
members do not have the capacity to report for work, but we have said we are
now going back to work.
“We welcome what the Vice President and Minister of Health
and Child Care said that he is willing to improve the conditions of service and
remuneration for health workers so we are giving them a chance to do that while
we are going to work,” said Mr Dongo.
He said the restructuring of the ministry was long overdue,
but implored the Government to consult widely.
“We advocated the restructuring of the ministry long back
and this will enable our health system to meet international standards.
“We have the expertise to do all the clinical services but
the structure which the Ministry was operating under was wrong. It demotivated
staff and there were no efficient services,” said Mr Dongo.
“This restructuring must now be done in consultation with
the stakeholders that matter so we are urging the Vice President to consult us
as associations and not consult the same people who created the condemned
structure.”
Junior doctors also reaffirmed yesterday that they were not
on industrial action and were supporting the newly streamlined operations of
the Ministry.
The structure has a new sustainable funding model, far
greater effectiveness and a new work ethic for staff.
Some employees in the health sector had been on industrial
action for several months holding out for United States dollar payments.
However, the structure outlined by VP Chiwenga this week has persuaded them to
go back to work.
In separate interviews with The Herald yesterday, Zimbabwe
Medical Association (ZIMA) president Dr Francis Chirowa and Hospital Doctors
Association secretary-general Dr Emmanuel Masosota both supported the new
structure.
“Zimbabwe has well trained, qualified health professionals
across the board. The only problem is that we have been losing most of our
trained personnel to other countries. Our institutions only need to be
capacitated with modern equipment and drugs.
“We have that capacity for this restructuring and our call
is, let’s do it. There are doctors who have been on strike but we have said
before that it is not the right thing to abandon patients. We have always said
the best situation is to negotiate without endangering patients,” said Dr
Chirowa.
Dr Masosota said their members had not downed tools and
were in full support of the Government’s restructuring exercise.
“Us junior doctors and other middle level doctors are not
on strike. The senior doctors and specialist doctors are the ones who were on
strike but we are going to work,” said Dr Masosota.
“For most of the referrals that were being done outside the
country, we actually have the capacity to do that. We have the specialists who
can do it.
“Our doctors and staff here are willing to work and we need
a structure that allows for this work to be done so I can say this announced
restructuring is a very welcome development and we need it to be implemented,”
said Dr Masosota. Herald
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