The opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has encouraged President Emerson Mnangagwa to engage the International community and seek help in addressing grievances of medical doctors who are crying foul over that they call ‘petty’ salaries.
The doctors, through their representatives, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), have been up in arms with their employer, the government over meager salaries which they said have been eroded by the ever-raising inflation.
The challenge comes after doctors from the country’s biggest hospitals (Harare and Bulawayo) downed tools to protest against the abduction of their president Dr. Peter Mugombeyi who was abduction on Saturday evening.
Addressing a press conference in Harare today, MDC’s Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr Henry Madzorera said abductions were not the solution to problems bedeviling the country.
“The abduction of a doctor who is expressing his concerns is not a solution, ZANU PF, Mnangagwa should talk to the international community and get help so that the center of the problem is addressed”.
He went on to say that the deteriorating health standards in Zimbabwe is very worrisome and it needs to be dealt with forthwith.
“People are dying in hospitals because they do not have money to buy medicines and the government spending money on the dead and at the end of the day they abduct those who are complaining,” he added.
Ministry of health workforce comprising of doctors and nurses who are earning less than $200 a month, took to the streets to protest against the abduction of their union leader,with senior doctors also joining the protest demanding that Mugombeyi must be brought back or else they will not go back to work.
Mugombeyi has been fronting salary negotiations between the health workers and the employer.
Meanwhile, in a statement, police said they have started investigating the matter, but however, cautioned against making kidnapping allegations which they said will damage the country’s image.
