The Sunday News
Limukani Ncube, Editor
DESPITE the strike by doctors, Mpilo Central Hospital maternity unit continued to provide quality service with an average of 24 babies delivered on a daily basis.
In an interview last week, the hospital’s Clinical Director, Dr Solwayo Ngwenya, said despite having 109 doctors on strike out of a complement of 182 doctors, they did not witness any maternal deaths.
“There are no recorded deaths directly attributable to the strike, the easiest measure would be maternal deaths, (but) there are none. Our maternity unit continues to deliver an average of 24 babies a day,” said Dr Ngwenya.
He however, pointed out that the outpatients department had been closed, although the hospital was not turning away any patients. Mpilo is the largest referral hospital in Bulawayo, getting patients from all Matabeleland provinces and part of Midlands.
“We put in place contingency plans to mitigate against the strike, which is to prevent mass deaths. All critical departments are manned all the time by some doctors not on strike. Not all junior doctors went on strike. Middle grade and senior doctors are doing most of the work,” he added.
Doctors downed tools on 1 March after petitioning Government to address their issues which include salary review, allowance payments, jobs for those who finish their studies, loan scheme and provisions of medicine and equipment in hospitals. Doctors wanted their on-call allowances to be increased from $1,50 to $10 per hour. They also wanted accommodation allowance to be paid to all doctors including those who stay inside hospitals and a review of the rural allowance.
In response, Government last week announced it had reviewed allowances for the health sector, opened avenues for employment and established a vehicle loan scheme. The Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors’ Association and the Government last Wednesday reached an agreement on the salary negotiations. The agreement was reached after a meeting was held between consultants representing doctors and then Acting President, General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired), who was accompanied by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi.
According to a statement by ZHDA, Vice-President Chiwenga promised the doctors, among other benefits, an increment of on-call allowances from $1, 50 to $5 per hour, an increase in rural and medical allowances, to withdraw Health Ministry’s statement advising cessation of salaries for doctors on strike and ensure that there is no victimisation of doctors. It was also agreed that the loan facility will be functional soon.
“Consultants informed the ZHDA executive that they had met (then) Acting President Chiwenga and VP Mohadi and they resolved to immediately rescind the letter advising cessation of salaries. This means that every doctor on industrial action is to get their full salary. The Acting President also promised to increase our on-call allowances from $1,50 to $5 per hour, while there is a road map to ultimately increase it to $10 per hour. This means that from the current $360 per month of on-call, interns are set to earn $800 per month of on-call allowance,” said ZHDA. Apart from the on-call allowance, there are other allowances plus basic salary. ZHDA spokesperson, Dr Mxolisi Ngwenya, told our sister paper, Chronicle that they consulted their members, who said they are waiting to see the promises in writing.
