THE strike by doctors at public hospitals, which started
last weekend, is set to continue after a meeting between Health minister
Obadiah Moyo and the doctors’ representatives yesterday ended without an
agreement while a meeting of the ruling Zanu PF party’s politburo ignored the
growing crises in the country.
Moyo and the doctors were locked in a meeting last night,
the second of the day after the first in the morning failed to break the
standoff. The doctors are protesting over pay, allowances and drugs shortages
as the nation reels from a cash crunch, price hikes and shortages of basic
goods, medicines and fuel.
Sources told NewsDay that the meeting made inroads, but no
decision was made, a development confirmed by a statement from the Zimbabwe
Hospitals Doctors’ Association (ZHDA), which represents more than 1 000
members.
“We recognise the minister’s effort in creating a legal
platform for the negotiation of our grievances. The subsequent meeting was,
however, unfruitful. Our employer, as always, was trying to ignore our
grievances, citing several technicalities which derail the necessary progress
to resolve the impasse,” the ZHDA said in
the statement.
“The employer went an extra mile to discuss the old
grievances of other medical professions while dragging on the real issues at
hand. We are shocked at the unwillingness of the employer to bring urgent
solutions to the situation and rather play the ‘legal’ card.”
The ZHDA added: “It is our understanding that they may try
to victimise the leaders of the current strike, citing the same reasons. We,
however, remain motivated in our course and will wait for them to come to terms
with reality and give the situation the urgency it deserves.
“We are aware of the effort of some of the former (ZHDA)
leaders to bring the political card so as to influence the government’s
position. We reiterate that as ZHDA, we are and will remain apolitical. Our
grievances are genuine and motivated by the ongoing situation in our field. We
will not tolerate those nonsensical useless agendas.
We will continue with the industrial action untill such a
time when the employer decides to take the situation seriously. We urge our
members to remain resolute and focused!”
According to the statement, the next meeting is scheduled
on Tuesday next week.
“We understand the timing of the meetings is in such a way
that we lose patience. Such tools are, however, unfruitful as always, we will
wait for them,” the doctors added.
This is the second time this year that the doctors have
downed tools over poor working conditions.
On Monday, Moyo told Cabinet that he had engaged the
doctors and they had promised to go back to work, but the doctors themselves
issued a contradictory statement, distancing themselves from the pledge made by
Patrick Mugoni whom they said was no longer an executive of ZHDA.
Moyo yesterday started negotiating with the ZHDA’s interim
leadership led by Elias Muzoremba.
In a related development, the Zimbabwe Government
Radiographer Association (ZiGRA) yesterday issued a notice to join the
industrial action.
“As Zimbabwe Government Radiographer Association, we regret
to inform you that we have reached a conclusion to engage in an industrial
action with effect from the 6th of December 2018. We will not be discharging
our services to the general public nationwide,” ZiGRA said in a statement.
Zanu PF’s politburo, which met yesterday failed to discuss
the strike or the worsening economic situation or the fuel crisis and focussed
on the party’s annual conference which starts next week.
Addressing journalists at the party’s headquarters,
spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo (pictured) said they did not touch on the issues
but that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had urged people to obverse cleanliness
and must dedicate every first Friday of the month as a day of cleaning-up.
“Every first Friday of every month, both the public and
private sectors will take to environmental cleaning around the workplaces for
two hours from 0800-1000. This was effectively emphasized,” Khaya Moyo said.
On the conference, Khaya Moyo said preparations were at an
advanced stage.
“The chairman of the party Cde Oppah Muchinguri gave a
comprehensive report on preparations the 17th national people’s conference.
“The report covered preparations undertaken by all sub
committees with emphasis on infrastructure development at the conference venue,
security and accreditation, information and publicity including regalia and
promotional material, transport, accommodation and catering. The report also
covered areas of health, environment and entertainment. All in all preparations
are proceeding exceedingly well.”
Khaya Moyo said the political commissar, Engelbert Rugeje,
gave a report on the thank you rallies, while Agriculture minister Perrance
Shiri spoke on the possible drought. The secretary for administration, Obert
Mpofu gave an update on a meeting of revolutionary movements in the region that
was recently held.
Meanwhile, at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, the
outpatients wing was teeming with patients, some on stretcher beds waiting to
be attended. Nurses and some senior staff were clearly overwhelmed by the
patients who became more agitated when they learnt that the Health minister
Obadiah Moyo was on tour of the facility.
“We have been here for the past three days but no doctor
has attended to us. We do not blame the staff, the government should resolve
their grievances as a matter of urgency so that we get assistance,” Jacob
Cherera, who had brought his elderly mother, said.
The patients and relatives demanded to see the Health
minister so that they could express their concerns.
“The minister must come here and hear our stories,” Cherera
said. Newsday
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