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Zim doctors happy with new deal
02/03/2007 20:47 - (SA)
Harare - Doctors at Zimbabwe's main state hospitals have called off a two-month strike for better salaries and working conditions after reaching a compromise with government, said the health ministry on Friday.
"The doctors are back at work," said deputy health minister Edwin Muguti. "They started coming back to work yesterday (on Thursday)."
He said the doctors, who had demanded that their salaries be raised from the current Z$56 000 (about $224) to Z$5m a month, "are happy with the package we have put together for them".
Zimbabwe is in the throes of a severe economic recession with four-digit inflation, massive unemployment and chronic shortages of drugs in state hospitals and basic foodstuffs such as sugar and the staple cornmeal.
"Although what we gave them did not fully meet their demands they appreciate that we did our best," said Muguti, declining to divulge the agreed package.
Fees charged by private hospitals
Kudakwashe Nyamutukwa, president of the Hospital Doctors' Association, confirmed the union had called off the strike following a pay deal with government.
The junior doctors began their strike mid-December initially limiting the numbers of patients they attended to before the go-slow evolved into a full-fledged strike when senior doctors joined in.
They ignored calls from health minister David Parirenyatwa to end their strike after being offered an undisclosed salary package by the government in January.
As the strike escalated the health ministry had to call on army medics to step in and augment skeleton staff numbers at some hospitals overwhelmed by patients.
State hospitals cater for the majority of the population who cannot afford fees charged by private hospitals.
State health institutions have been hit by an exodus of key staff including specialist doctors, pharmacists and nurses to countries like Australia, Botswana, Britain, New Zealand and neighbouring South Africa.
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