More than 200 striking doctors this afternoon marched from Parirenyatwa Hospital to The Parliament of Zimbabwe and handed over a petition over the abduction of one of their leaders Dr Peter Magombeyi who is the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) president.
Lawyers and other opposition activists chanting “NO PETER! NO WORK!” joined in the march which lasted over two hours.
The protesting doctors, who peacefully marched to parliament, were escorted by the Zimbabwe Republic Police after High Court Judge Clement Phiri ruled that the police should not interfere with their protest.
The police had previously blocked attempts by doctors to present their petition to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Speaker of parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda.
Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) represents junior and middle level doctors at public hospitals. The doctors have been on strike since Sept. 3, demanding a further pay increase as living costs soar.
As in the past, the government has called in army medics to help in the hospitals, which are already struggling with shortages of medicines.
“The situation in our hospitals is so saddening and we don’t draw any pleasure from it. The sooner it ends the better for us,” Tawanda Zvakada, ZHDA representative said after handing in a petition to parliament.
