The government will not allow striking junior doctors to demonstrate at hospitals. The then Acting President, Constantino Chiwenga, released a statement on Tuesday saying that hospitals are for the treatment of patients.
He added that the government will not pay the doctors in foreign currency since the government does not print US dollars. Said Chiwenga:
The government will not allow any demonstrations at medical facilities whose purpose is to treat patients and ensure their full recovery.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Government will not remunerate any of its work-force in US dollars. The government does not print US dollars.
In particular, Government is disturbed by the fact that in spite of many concessions it made to the striking doctors, and the broad agreement reached on all but two issues, the striking health personnel continue to withhold their labour and negotiate in bad faith even though they are designated as an essential service under the Labour Act, and even though Government has bent over backwards to accommodate them.
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