Health workers are in shock after their employer cancelled flexi hours working schedule which allowed them to work two days per week to reduce exposure time to COVID-19 cases.
In an interview with a local publication, Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union secretary-general Douglas Chikobvu blasted the responsible authorities for choosing to compromise their health.
“Sadly, these institutions have close to nothing in terms of personal protective clothing but Zizhou seems unaware where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going. This decision comes when nurses are haunted daily as they continue to discharge their duties without adequate PPE (personal protective equipment).
“We totally condemn the move at all costs and clearly state that the memo is absolutely impractical. As a nurses union, we totally register our displeasure as administrative machinations take toll and continue to be perpetrated against fellow nurses.”
In a letter addressed to Marondera Provincial Hospital signed by the Provincial Medical Director, Simukai Zizhou, flexi hours for all staff categories were cancelled indefinitely.
“To ensure that there is continuity in service provision and adequate coverage, the interim arrangement of flexible hours for all staff categories at your institution has been cancelled indefinitely,”
All health workers were advised to return to work and resume normal duties with immediate effect.
In an interview with a local publication, Zizhou in his defence accused nurses at the hospital of failing to properly follow the schedule of Flexi hours.
He added that nurses were now capacitated as they received COVID-19 allowances while they are using buses provided by the responsible authority.
“The nurses can’t continue to allege incapacitation because as of last week, they received COVID-19 allowances which are 55% of their salaries and we also have a bus that ferries them to work daily,” added Zizhou.
The Flexi hours arrangement between nurses and the Health Services Board early this year to cushion nurses who had gone on an indefinite strike due to poor salaries eroded by inflation.
