Government has moved to avert the possible disruption of
services at hospitals by deploying medical professionals from the uniformed
forces.
Health professionals have been boycotting work since Monday
claiming they wanted Government to furnish them with the whereabouts of
Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) acting president Dr Peter
Magombeyi, who was reported missing at the weekend.
Addressing journalists at Munhumutapa Building in Harare
yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said in addition to
medical professionals in the security sector, there were also some doctors who
pledged to assist in public health institutions.
“The army are going to give us assistance and there are
also some other doctors who have decided to continue providing services,” said
Dr Moyo.
He said although the number of medical professionals in the
security forces might not satisfy the burden of care in health institutions,
patients with critical conditions would be able to get medical attention.
“There is quite a sizable number from each and every
institution, not as much as we would have wanted them to be, but at the moment
the information I have is that we have some coverage in our hospitals. So we
will keep monitoring,” he said.
Dr Moyo further appealed to the striking doctors to return
to work while giving security agencies a chance to investigate circumstances
surrounding the missing doctor.
“As I mentioned yesterday (Monday), the matter was taken up
by the securocrats and you heard from the securocrats, Minister (Cain) Mathema
(Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage) and Minister (Owen) Ncube (Minister of
State for National Security), they have given you the assurance on what the
situation is and in the meantime we are concerned about service provision.
“I want to, as usual, encourage our workers to come back to
work while investigations are taking place,” said Dr Moyo.
In a statement yesterday, the Health Apex announced that
its members were also withdrawing their services in solidarity.
It also said it was suspending Health Services Bipartite
Negotiating Panel meetings until their security was guaranteed.
However, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister
Sekai Nzenza told journalists yesterday that while employees had a right to
demonstrate, there were set procedures that are supposed to be followed.
“They have the right to demonstrate, however, there are processes
of negotiations that need to be followed because they represent the essential
services meaning that we put the lives of patients first. So I would encourage
them, very strongly, that this is a situation where we must consider the lives
of the patients first,” said Minister Nzenza.
Government always makes use of medical professionals from
the uniformed forces (army, police and prisons) in cases of crisis mostly posed
by striking health workers. Herald
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