Accessibility links

Breaking News

Harare State Hospitals At Crippling Point As Junior, Senior Residents Strike


Zimbabwe's health sector has been dealt another serious blow, following the decision by junior and senior residents, working in the capital's state hospitals, to go on strike Thursday, prompted, they claimed, by the government's failure to address their grievances over pay and other allowances.

The residents' actions come less than six months after their December strike, which lasted three months, when they again downed their tools, and demanded that the government give them better salaries and wages.

The residents, totaling about 200 in number, said they would not return to work in Harare state hospitals, until the government raised their salaries to $Z70 million a month, and also gave them car loans worth $US3,000.

Residents at Bulawayo state hospitals, say they will join in the strike Friday.

Studio seven was unable to reach health minister David Parirenyatwa, or any other health ministry official, for comment on the concerns raised by the residents, two weeks ago.

Critics say the latest job action, is likely to worsen the situation at government hospitals, which have been hit by a severe shortage of nurses, who have not been going to work regularly for some time now, citing lack of adequate transport funds.

Amon Siveregi, president of the Hospital Doctors Association, told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, that Harare Hospital and Parirenyatwa Hospital, have been badly affected by the job action.

More reports from VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe...

XS
SM
MD
LG