On Thursday, the Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors’ Association (ZHDA) issued a statement to the effect that they were ‘begrudgingly’ ending a 40-day long strike.
Reports indicate that the striking junior doctors were forced to end the strike by some consultant doctors who threatened to cause them to fail their internship.
In a statement released on Thursday morning, ZHDA secretary-general Mthabisi Bhebhe said:
ZHDA is delighted to inform the membership, members of the Press and the public that the industrial action by doctors has come to an end.
Sadly, with no salary review, and frozen December salaries, in this rough and ravaging economic environment, it remains a dilemma for how our members will report to work daily.
Indeed, poor remuneration and the current fuel shortages remain a threat that may spontaneously hinder our members from reporting to work and discharging quality health services to patients. That being said, our members have begrudgingly resumed work with effect from today, as the dialogue continues.
A senior doctor who attended the meeting reportedly told the striking doctors that they will walk alone if they continued with the strike. The senior doctor is alleged to have said:
If they (government) give you a pay rise today, the whole country will demand that and the government will not be able to cope.
The cost of living (adjustment) is coming in March. It is coming, they have promised. Consider what is there on the table and take. If you continue, if the consultant says fire them, you will come back to zero.
If they (government) give you a pay rise today, the whole country will demand that and the government will not be able to cope.
Remember, you are not yet registered with the Medical Council. If you get fired, no matter what you want to do, you will never go anywhere. You would have wasted six years of training. I am pleading with you, suffer for a while.
It means junior doctors have reduced their learning hours and missed some of the lessons and therefore a possibility of failing.