According to Bulawayo City Council’s Director of Health
Services, Dr Edwin Sibanda, most applications for vacancies at council clinics
were from health workers wanting to leave their central government jobs.
These professionals, Dr Sibanda said, were now demoralised
to learn that they would be paid directly by government.
In July, Vice-President and Health minister Constantino
Chiwenga informed Parliament that the government was in the process of taking
over all health facilities run by councils.
Chiwenga said the move was part of a grand plan to make
sure health facilities offered standardised service delivery as envisaged by
the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
The move was, however, condemned by activists who said this
was against the provisions of devolution of power.
Responding to questions on the latest developments regarding
the takeover of council clinics, Dr Sibanda said BCC was still waiting for
trial results from Harare and Chitungizwa where the process has started.
“The latest was the government is starting with Harare and
Chitungzwiza maybe to see whether they die or survive. Then whatever becomes of
them will inform the next step I suppose. So I think Harare and Chitungwiza can
tell us what is happening there on the ground. Are they taking over and if they
are taking over, how is it being accepted, how is the takeover and what effect
does it have,” he said.
Dr Sibanda, however, lamented that the proposed move had caused uncertainty among health workers.
“I can say from
us, it has caused a lot of apprehension and fear amongst our staff. Some are
even demoralised because you are asking yourself (about your future),” said the
health director, noting that council clinics often attracted many health workers
who wanted to work for them.
“If I place an advert tomorrow and say the City of Bulawayo is looking for medical officers , nursing people or any other health personnel, even environmental health officers, 90 percent or more are going to be from the central government, trying to join the council. So you can’t be told soon after joining council that you are now going back to government.”
Dr Sibanda said going back to a former workplace was
demoralising, which was why health workers were searching for greener pastures.
In September, the government said it was finalising the
process of transferring all health workers employed by the country’s urban
councils to its payroll, as a way of averting disruptions in health delivery at
a time when the world is battling the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the first step, the government announced in July that it
was taking over the remuneration of nurses employed by Chitungwiza and Harare
municipalities following failure by the two local authorities to meet their
salary obligation.
Bulawayo councillors raised concern over this transfer of
its health workers to the government payroll saying it would lead to a total
takeover of the primary health care services from the local authorities. Cite.org.zw
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