Medical doctors said they remain unmoved by government’s decision to fire 77 out of 80 doctors who did not show up for the disciplinary hearings last Thursday accusing the Health Services Board (HSB) of negotiating in bad faith.
This was said during a solidarity meeting held at Parirenyatwa Hospital yesterday morning.
In an interview with the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) treasurer general Dr Tapiwa Mungofa, he lashed at the Health Service Board for negotiating in bad faith.
“They are driving to the doctors door to door delivering letters wasting taxpayers money, we hope they come to their senses soon because it is these few doctors that the citizens are relying on,” said Mungofa.
“We are not moved by their decision to fire doctors. We have been fired from the beginning because you cannot say you have a job when the job cannot give you a decent salary, a livable wage,” added Mungofa.
The doctors also accused the HSB of shooting itself in the foot by choosing to be vindictive at a time dialogue was the only way out.
“Whilst Zimbabweans and the government have entrusted them with a simple mandate of resolving crisis in our health care system, they have shaken the nation by firing the very few doctors in the country.
“We eagerly wait to see how this move which defies all common sense will serve as a solution the already strained healthcare system. Nothing has been done to improve the welfare of doctors and hospital working environments, therefore doctors nationwide remain incapacitated,” said the doctors in a statement.
Government fired 77 doctors who did not show up for a disciplinary hearing to try and solve a salary impasse that has driven the country’s health delivery system into a mess.
