Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo said that the government is working to improve doctors’ conditions of service.
Doctors handed over a petition to the Ministry of Health and Child Care on the 4th of December last year and presented it to the parliamentary portfolio committee this Monday.
The doctors expressed concern over the procurement process for medical equipment saying they also need to be involved. In response, Moyo said:
Government recognises commitment and perseverance of all doctors. My actions are based on serving the interest of the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
… availability of water at hospitals it’s the jurisdiction of the local authorities but as a Ministry, we drilled boreholes to ease the problem.
… on the issue of equipment, currently foreign currency is a challenge.
Doctors declared incapacitation (an ability to report for duty due to poor salaries) last year resulting in the near-collapse of Zimbabwe’s public health system.
Most of the doctors eventually agreed to resume their duties after a United Kingdom-based telecoms mogul, Strive Masiyiwa, pledged to pay their salaries and avail transport to and from work.