Doctors Say They Will Remain On Strike Despite Mnangagwa's Intervention, Say They Do Not Trust Parirenyetwa To Honour Promises

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) has said that it will continue with the strike by medical doctors despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s appeal to return to work. The strike is now well in its fourth week as the doctors protest against inadequate allowances and lack of essential drugs and equipment at public hospitals. The ZHDA has instead appealed to Mnangagwa to handle the situation with urgency, saying they do not trust Minister of Health and Child Care David Parirenyatwa to honour his word.

In a statement, the ZHDA said,

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association would like to inform members of the press, public and other stakeholders of its stance following the update by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) concerning our strike, which has entered day 25 today.

The Minister of Health has stated that the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Cde ED Mnangagwa, has appealed to members to go to work while he looks into our issues. ZHDA has brought this to the attention of members and these are some of the concerns raised:

1. The MOHCC has dragged its feet since the 23rd of January this year to fix our issues, and shown
no lack of urgency even during the strike. They do not value ordinary citizens‘ life (sic) and have lied to the press and public several times

2. Negotiations are being done in bad faith, with misrepresentation of facts by the Ministry
and Minister.

3. The reason why we have reached this critical point is that we accepted promises BEFORE from the
same minister and Ministry, since 2014, and these continue to be broken

4. The ministry continues to threaten our members in an attempt to coerce them back to work. If
they were genuinely working on these issues. why then threaten members?

In view of these issues raised. members would like to thank His Excellency, the President for his
intervention. He is a man of his word and we believe that he will act with the urgency he has always shown.

We would also like to express lack of confidence in the Minister and MOHCC, and as such feel that we will be shortchanged like before, as all communications go through this ministry. Members have therefore resolved to remain on strike until a solution has been tabled on paper and goes through the proper legal channels. We believe a commitment on paper should not take long. We also await action in providing the materials to use In our hospitals.

ZHDA appeals to members of the public to continue praying for our doctors and health care system as we work towards getting full legal documentation of any agreement, to avert further strikes should the
ministry fail to deliver like before.

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We Will Not Return To Work Until Govt Supplies Drugs, Equipment, Minister Is Insincere: Doctors