Nurses in the country are struggling to make ends meet as they continue to earn salaries pegged in local currency, which have not kept up with the skyrocketing inflation the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has been told.
A representative of nurses at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Allan Nyamupinga, recently told the committee that their current monthly salary of $45,000 is not sufficient to cover their basic needs.
“Our biggest issue is of salaries. Our salaries are pegged in local currency and at the moment, we get $45 000 and this is not sufficient. The figure is too little to cater for our needs. If you check, we receive $7 000 as transport allowance. We also get uniform allowance but the money cannot even buy one uniform,” Nyamupinga said.
The nurses’ predicament has been compounded by the fact that they are unable to access loans from banks due to the local currency salary component they earn.
“As nurses we are unable to get loans from the bank because of the local currency salary component we earn. Our situation as nurses is very dire and needs urgent intervention.” he added
A nurse working at the Parirenyatwa’s psychiatric unit complained said they are being forced to admit patients against hospital policy.
“Big wigs are forcing us to admit patients who are supposed to go for rehabilitation, we are not a rehabilitation centre. We call upon the Government to construct more rehabilitation centres otherwise we will continue overworking,” said one nurse
The situation has left many nurses struggling to make ends meet, with some unable to afford basic necessities such as food, shelter, and healthcare.
While the government has taken steps to address these issues, many Zimbabweans, including healthcare workers, continue to struggle to make ends meet.
The health sector has been crippled by mass exodus of health professionals seeking greener pastures in Europe.
