The Labour Court is this afternoon expected to make a
determination on the legality of the 36-day mass job action by medical doctors
following their continued rejection of repeated pleas by Government to return
to work.
This was said by Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah
Moyo last night. The development follows Government’s plea last Friday, urging
the striking doctors to return to work with effect from October 7, or face
disciplinary action.The doctors have also repeatedly rejected offers tabled by
the Government.
Dr Moyo yesterday said most doctors remained defiant
leaving Government with no option apart from instituting legal proceedings.
“Further to the statement issued by Ministry of Health and
Child Care on Saturday, October 5, 2019, regarding the ongoing withdrawal of
labour by some doctors, Government today (yesterday) the 7th of October 2019
has made an assessment of the situation at public health institutions and noted
that some doctors did not take heed of the appeal and still chose to stay away
from their work stations.
“Government is therefore allowing due legal process to
continue with the Labour Court scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, 8 October 2019
at 14:30 hours wherein the Labour Court will determine the legality of the mass
job action,” said Dr Moyo.
He commended the few doctors and some health workers who
continued providing services during the ongoing job action.
“The Government continues to be grateful to those doctors
and other health care workers who have remained on their posts of duty
delivering care, saving lives and alleviating suffering.
“Patients’ lives are paramount,” said Dr Moyo. In a statement last Friday following the Health Services
Bipartite Negotiating Panel from which doctors rejected Government’s offer of
60 percent, all doctors were called to report for work beginning yesterday at
8am.
It was argued that those who fail to do so would be breaching
their contracts of work and could face disciplinary action.
A survey by our Harare Bureau at some referral institutions
yesterday captured a sorry state of affairs as patients continued to be sent
back home without getting any medical services.
Very few doctors, both junior and senior, were attending to
patients as the majority heeded their association’s call to stay away from work
citing incapacitation and working conditions.
Meanwhile, the junior doctors have submitted their written
notice of exiting the Heath Apex Council to the Health Services Board (HSB).
Addressing some junior doctors accompanying the doctors’
executive to HSB offices housed within Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals,
Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association acting secretary general Dr Tawanda
Zvakada acknowledged that exiting the Health Apex leaves them with no legal
platform to negotiate for their conditions of service with their employer.
Herald
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