Over 100 City Of Harare Nurses have resigned over the last few months as they protest the nonpayment of their COVID-19 allowances by the government. New Zimbabwe reports. The mass resignations have reportedly crippled the City of Harare’s local clinics as their resignations ignited a shortage of manpower.
The mass resignations were confirmed by the Harare North MP Allan Markham in Parliament last week when he said:
I would like to clarify on Covid allowances. The Covid allowance for nurses in urban areas as well is not being received. Harare and Bulawayo have both not received at the local government level.
This has led to approximately 100 nurses resigning from the local authority here in Harare. Could the Minister give us assurance that the US$75 is being paid to frontline workers in the medical profession
The government through the Health Deputy Minister Dr. Mangwiro however denied the allegations and said all allowances to frontline workers have been paid religiously:
Payments are being directed to the individual’s accounts. If there are any specific problematic accounts or anything, I will be glad to entertain that together with my team at the ministry.
However, some of the VHWs are facing challenges in opening bank accounts.The Covid-19 risk allowance for VHWs is $1.500 RTGs per month and US$75 per month on top of the usual US$45 per quarter
Meanwhile frontline workers are among the first group of people who are supposed to receive the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine that was donated by China a fortnight ago.
More: New Zimbabwe