All major hospitals are now back to normal with almost all nurses adhering to standard duty rosters and the small minority refusing to comply being removed from the payroll and facing disciplinary action.
While the Zimbabwe Nurses Association is still claiming
nurses are financially incapacitated, the chief executives of the major
hospitals are reporting full turn outs of nursing staff or close to that with
some having no staff facing any disciplinary action.
Last week, the Health Services Board (HSB) removed 1 032
nurses from its pay sheets after they refused to resume normal working hours,
and disciplinary hearings are starting this week.
The removal from the payroll is a normal result of
industrial action, that those who do not work are not paid. This is regardless
of the legality of any industrial action.
A variety of penalties are possible in disciplinary
hearings depending on charges and circumstances, including dismissal.
There have been suggestions that some of these nurses could
be placed on fixed-term contracts if they return as part of a proposed
restructuring of the public health sector. Investigations by The Herald have
discovered that some Government nurses not reporting for duty or not working
full hours have in fact a second job, but have never resigned and continued
benefiting from two employers.
Acting chief executive for Mpilo Central Hospital,
Professor Solwayo Ngwenya, said “100 percent of all those expected on duty”
were now coming to work.
“There was marked improvement just after the memo
cancelling flexi-hours, and a further one after nurses started receiving
disciplinary letters. Around 200 have been removed from the payroll pending
disciplinary action.”
Chitungwiza Central Hospital spokesperson Mrs Audrey
Tasaranarwo said all nurses were back at work and none had to be removed from
pay sheets or subpoenaed for a disciplinary hearing with that hospital’s chief
executive having held discussions with staff before the latest action last week
and getting a unanimous return to duty.
“Nurses at our hospital are reporting for duty. Soon after
the strike they all reported for duty,” she said.
“No one was affected because the chief executive officer
had a meeting with nurses. So all nurses reported for duty.”
Sally Mugabe Central Hospital acting chief executive Dr
Christopher Pasi said most nurses are back at work.
“The majority are back at work. But as is now public
knowledge there is a disciplinary process underway for what transpired during
the week 26-30 October. Any further information regarding that process can be
obtained from HSB,” said Dr Pasi.
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals spokesperson Mr Linos Dhire
said nurses had resumed duties.
Gweru Provincial Hospital (GPH) met teaching hospital
requirements following its partnership with Midlands State University to train
doctors, and its new central hospital status is now expected to be formalised.
Medical superintendent at GPH Dr Fabian Mashingaidze said
the hospital is operating normally and none of its staff had defied
Government’s call.
ZiNa secretary-general Mr Enock Dongo said nothing has changed in terms of their
remuneration that warrants nurses to return normal service. Herald
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