Dozens of doctors this morning staged a protest at Harare Hospital over the disappearance of Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) president, Peter Mugombeyi saying they no longer feel safe to work as the alleged abduction of their leader continues to haunt them.
The doctors have however, resolved not to return to work until Mugombeyi’s whereabouts are established and he is brought back in good shape.
Mugombeyi is due for graduation at the National University of Science and Technology in few weeks’ time.
“We are emotionally traumatized by the disappearance of Mugombeyi and we feel we are not stable enough to carry our duties very well. We are scared too work,” ZHDA vice president, Masimba Ndoro told 263Chat in an interview, post demonstrations.
Mugombeyi is alleged to have been abducted by unknown assailants on Saturday and since then no word from him has been heard.
Earlier, Mugombeyi is reportedly having received threatening text messages on his mobile phone over his role in calling for a pay rise.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police have since stated that an investigation is underway to trace Mugombeyi’s whereabouts.
His disappearance is the latest among a spate of abductions of political activists, opposition party, MDC members and a comedian renowned for political satire, all within a space of two months.
However, despite emphasizing that theirs is a strictly professional call for a better standard of living for doctors, they fear their actions are being misconstrued for political theatrics.
This is in light of social media and reports from state media insinuating Mugombeyi’s disappearance might have been dramatized.
“Those are inconsiderate statements to say when a person, a doctor who is supposed to be savings lives for that matter, goes missing for three days,” ZHDA, secretary general, Anele Bhebhe said in an telephone interview.
Currently, doctors have withdrawn their services at major government hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo in protest over the disappearance of Mugombeyi and paltry earnings.
The newly-qualified doctors are earning less than US$ 50 per month.
