Zimbabwe January 2007 |
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| Nurses abandon uniforms in protest, (Chronicle, 2007-01-13):-Nurses at Beitbridge District Hospital yesterday reported for duty without uniforms in protest over the $440 uniform duty maintenance allowance, among other grievances. When the Chronicle visited the hospital several nurses could be seen attending to patients in civilian clothes making it difficult for one to distinguish between a nurse and a patient.“We are not happy with the poor salaries and working conditions, especially the uniform maintenance allowances which we are getting and precisely that is the reason why we have resolved to come to work without uniforms. Where does the Government think we will get the money to maintain our uniforms if they are going to give us $440,” asked a senior nurse, who declined to be named. However, unlike in other hospitals across the country where nurses have reportedly gone on strike, in Beitbridge nurses continued to attend to patients and business was as usual, although it was clear that the morale was at its lowest ebb. “Although we are obliged to remain committed towards the welfare of patients, we certainly feel there is need for the Government to review our salaries, which are way below the poverty datum line,” said another nurse. Nurses who spoke to Chronicle vowed to continue coming to work without uniforms until the Government reviewed “our allowances’’, a development which has reportedly incensed their superiors, who are now demanding that they resume wearing their uniforms. “The DNO (District Nursing Officer) has ordered us to wear our uniforms, but we have resolved to continue working in our civilian clothes until our demands are met,” said another nurse. Nurses and doctors are earning salaries of $26 000 and $56 000 per month. Efforts to contact the District Medical Officer for Beitbridge, Dr Nyasha Masuka, were fruitless. Nurses at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo were on Wednesday reported to have joined the doctors’ strike, a move which the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Edwin Muguti described as ‘regrettable’. Many health institutions around Zimbabwe are operating with less than half the required number of health personnel as most of them continue to leave the country for greener pastures in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and the neighbouring SADC countries. It is estimated that there are about 400 doctors and more than 11 000 nurses in Zimbabwe. | |
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