Bertha Shoko
13 December 2008
IN a desperate bid to end a two-month strike that has severely crippled the country's health delivery system, the government is proposing to pay doctors and nurses in foreign currency, it emerged last week.
Sources said the government had finally responded to demands by the striking nurses and doctors by promising a monthly salary of US$30 for the least paid health worker.
The lowest paid workers include cooks and cleaners as well as other support staff.
Nurses were reportedly offered about US$60 while junior doctors were set to receive between US$150 and US$200.
For senior doctors government had offered a salary of US$400, sources say.
"These developments have already been communicated by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to chief executive officers of Chitungwiza, Harare and Parirenyatwa hospitals, and worker representatives have been notified of these figures," a source said.
"In addition to these amounts government is saying it will provide transport to and from work for all nurses and doctors.
"The buses that will carry workers were donated to hospitals by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe as part of the Medical Skills Retention and Health Sector Revival Scheme during the June 27 presidential run-off election campaign.
"Some buses that were donated to districts were also recalled to cater for these hospitals."
The government, which is battling a serious cholera epidemic sweeping across the country, is desperate to convince nurses and doctors to return to work and fight the fast-spreading disease.
But health workers from Chitungwiza, Harare and Parirenyatwa who met on Friday to review the work boycott rejected the government offer, describing it as "too little".
Zimbabwe Hospital Workers' Association representative, Dr Amon Siveregi, confirmed the developments but refused to shed more light on the government's proposals.
"I am just from a meeting with workers from Chitungwiza, Harare and Parirenyatwa and they have flatly rejected the government's offer," he said. "We feel that government requested too little money from the donors who are willing to bail it out. The workers are saying they want the lowest paid worker, in this case a general hand, to be paid at least US$600.
"We want our nurses to be paid nothing less than US$1 500 and for juniors doctors at least US$2 500.
"These are our demands and unless they are met, hospitals will remain closed."
The secretary general of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors' Association, Dr Malcolm Masikati, said the government's offer was an "embarrassment".
"The figures we have received are embarrassing to say the least. This is why health workers have agreed at our meeting to ask government to go back to the drawing board," Masikati said.
Health and Child Welfare Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa was not immediately available to comment as his mobile phone went unanswered.
Last week, Parirenyatwa met potential donors in the hope of improving conditions of service for health workers by paying their salaries in foreign currency.
The country's major hospitals have suspended essential operations as a result of the strike.
The health workers are also protesting against the acute shortage of drugs, medicines and the lack of essential equipment.
Service delivery at government hospitals has continued to decline due to perennial under-funding.
Poor salaries and unsafe working conditions have also seen experienced health professionals leaving the country in droves for greener pastures.
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