Junior Doctors Push HSB In Bid To Form Separate Negotiating Forum

The Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association (ZHDA) has expressed frustration over the Health Services Board’s (HSB) reluctance to create a separate engagement forum for them after they fulfilled all the requirements.

The ZHDA wrote a letter to HSB chairperson, Paulinus Sikosana, urging the Board to look into the matter urgently. The letter reads in part:

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctor’s Association (ZHDA) has noted the reluctance by the responsible authorities, in particular, the Health Services Board (HSB) and the Ministry of Health and Child Care, in forming a separate negotiating forum for doctors.

This comes after letters of notification and a draft of proposed regulations were submitted 2 months ago. The ZHDA and its entire membership urge the board to seriously look into this matter.

Junior doctors announced in October 2019 that their association was leaving the Health Apex Council which they accused of failing to adequately represent them.

The doctors also expressed anger over the formation of a rival union, the Progressive Doctors Association of Zimbabwe (PDAZ), which substituted ZHDA in the Health Apex Council.

More: NewZimbabwe.com