The dire situation in public hospitals has become a silent genocide for health workers who are being forced to work without personal protective equipment and basic medical supplies to attend to patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the past few months, the situation in hospitals has continued to deteriorate with health workers now on their 49th day of industrial action demanding better salaries and PPEs.
A nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity working in the red zone area designated for Covid-19 admissions at Parirenyatwa hospital said there is no water for them to use in the D floor where they are residing.
“We don’t understand why this has taken so long to be resolved as the silent genocide continues to be perpetrated. The Clinical Director promised to give us preferential treatment but nothing has been done so far. …..,” she said.
The Zimbabwe Nurses Association recently said its members could no longer cope with such conditions as more than 200 health workers have tested positive to Covid-19 locally.
A local journalist who tested positive to Covid-19 and spoke on conditions of anonymity said the situation in hospitals is worsening as only two nurses are manning the whole C4 Ward alone.
“Morning guys. Today marks 11 Days since I tested positive to Covid-19 together with other Members of Parliament from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport. If you think you have seen it all come to Parirenyatwa Covid Centre Red Zone where I’m currently admitted. Public health delivery system hamuna munyika (has collapsed). Only two nurses manning ziWard C4 rese (the whole ward). Mushonga hakuna ( there are no drugs), only Paracetamol and Oxygen is all they are offering. Some deaths can be avoided,” he said.
“One person amuka akafa (died) and the mortuary guys are yet to retrieve body three hours later. His bed is next to mine.Vafa ndichiona sekuru ivavo. No assistance yavawana as he battled to breathe. Taneta nekuswerodeedzwa kumaPress Briefings yet paground hapana chikuitwa (We are tired of being called to press conferences yet nothing tangible is on the ground),” he said on a whatsapp group.
The spokesperson for Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Linos Dhire said the corpse had been removed and everything is now under control.
