The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has decried the government's treatment of nurses citing poverty-level wages, crumbling health facilities, and alleged human rights violations as signs of deepening crisis in the country's public health system.
In a statement, ZINA president Enock Dongo declared that nurses in the country are living in "abject poverty" and accused the government of having failed them.
"It is now safe to say that the government has failed its workers, particularly those in the health sector. As we speak, nurses are living in abject poverty, unable to afford even the most basic necessities of life. Currently, the salary of a nurse remains at a paltry US$240 and an additional amount in ZiG that equates to approximately US$150--an income far below the poverty datum line.
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"This situation has rendered our nurses incapable of sending their children to school, buying clothes, affording food, or even securing transport to work. Many are walking long distances to their workstations, while others are forced to live in overcrowded single-room accommodations with their families due to an inability to pay rent. This is not only unacceptable--it is pathetic and dehumanizing," said Dongo
He said ZINA is calling on the government to increase salaries in reference to the October 2018 value.
"We urgently call on the government to review and adjust nurses' salaries to a minimum of US$840, a figure that reflects the pre-October 2018 value, when the exchange rate was 1:1. Such a revision is critical to alleviating the chronic underpayment and harsh living conditions being endured by our health workers," he said
In addition to poor wages, Dongo painted a bleak picture of the country's public hospitals describing them as dilapidated and under-resourced with nurses left to improvise due to a shortage of medicines, equipment and essential tools.
"The public blames us for delays and inefficiencies, but how can you perform miracles without even basic resources?" the statement reads.
He said the situation is exacerbated by severe staff shortages with some nurses responsible for as many as 30 patients at a time far exceeding safe workload ratios.
ZINA is urging the government to immediately recruit more staff and reinstate locum shifts--temporary assignments that would allow off-duty or retired nurses to return to service for fair pay.
The association also raised alarm over what it describes as a blatant violation of nurses' rights accusing authorities of withholding diplomas and verification letters from nurses who have completed mandatory post-training bonding.
These documents are often required for nurses seeking employment both locally and abroad.
"Over 4,000 nurses are currently affected by this injustice," Dongo said, describing the move as an infringement on workers' freedom of choice and professional advancement.
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