Movement for Democratic Change leader, Nelson Chamisa has called on government to act on the ongoing strike by medical doctors urging the Mnangagwa administration to accept failure in order to attract assistance.
Touring Harare hospital today (Thursday), Chamisa said the health crisis in the country is a manifestation of failure, poor leadership and governance.
“We know and understand that we have a serious health crisis in the country which is a manifestation of a governance and leadership crisis in the country,
“The fact that we have doctors and junior doctors receiving a poultry salary of about $300 is a travesty of justice. It is a tragedy that we have a situation where locums have not been paid and doctors were promised that their allowances would be elevated from $327 to $720 in 2014 and government has not met that pledge,
“We continue to have a worsening health crisis where deaths are being recorded on a higher scale because of this industrial action by doctors which is a justifiable action because they have not been given what is due to them,” he said.
Chamisa added government should not turn a blind eye to the situation but accept defeat and ask for assistance where they have failed.
“Health is the most important element of any government, the fact that we have a government that playing a blind eye to the situation and predicament clearly shows that we have people who are heartless, who do not have sensitivity to the plight of the majority of the people,
“Some progressive countries have made significant strides for example Rwanda and that is where we should be going soon after the elections,
“We are calling on government to be serious, if the crisis is beyond their capacity they must be frank enough to the people of Zimbabwe and the government in waiting to ask for help,
“We are ready to deal with these issues, we have answers and solutions to such problems in terms of our health plan and policy but this is unacceptable and will take up to parliament and as the government in waiting,” explained Chamisa.
He said President Emmerson Mnangagwa cannot continue with his mantra that the country is open for business when it is not open for health.
He urged government to prioritize the the lives of citizens over the luxurious lives they live and to listen to the cries of the people otherwise a government that does not adhere to the wishes of the people is not worth being in authority.
