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Zim striking doctors sacked
07/02/2007 16:57 - (SA)
Harare - About sixty Zimbabwean junior doctors have been sacked from Harare's main hospital after going on strike in December demanding salary hikes, said their union chief on Wednesday.
"About 60 doctors have received dismissal letters," Kudakwashe Nyamutukwa, said the president of the Hospital Doctors' Association.
He said the doctors had defied calls from health minister David Parirenyatwa to return to work while their grievances were being looked into.
"The doctors are not going to bow down until their demands are met," said Nyamutukwa.
Harare central hospital executive chairperson and chief executive officer Jealousy Nderere, signed the dismissal letters, saying the striking doctors were "discharged from service with effect from 21 January 2007".
"It has been noted that you have not been reporting for duty for a continuous period of 30 days since December 22 2006," he added.
Severe economic recession
The junior doctors had been demanding a major increase in their current salaries of Z$56 000 a month, whose value is being slowly eroded by rampant inflation.
Parirenyatwa last month met with representatives of the striking doctors saying they had agreed for them to return to work after both sides had "looked at the challenges they are facing especially the issues of salaries, accommodation transport in terms of car loans".
Zimbabwe is in the throes of a severe economic recession characterised by four-digit inflation, massive unemployment and chronic shortages of drugs in state hospitals and basic foodstuffs such as sugar and the staple cornmeal.
State health institutions have been hit by an exodus of key staff including specialist doctors, pharmacists and nurses to countries such as Australia, Botswana, Britain, New Zealand and neighbouring South Africa.
According to Nyamutukwa, Zimbabwe has about 350 junior doctors, and up to 800 senior practitioners on the government payroll.
- AFP
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