Nothing Has Been Done Since Chiwenga's Appointment, They Are Delaying While People Are Dying - Nurses And Doctors

According to nurses and doctors, the newly appointed Health Minister Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s delay in bringing the much-needed change in the Health Department is costing some people their lives, the Daily News reports.

According to the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president Enock Dongo the health minister who recently announced a new restructuring strategy poised to bring change in the health delivery system in the country are not serious about the grievances tabulated by the nurses. Said Dongo:

The new team must do something to make sure that things normalise. They are delaying while people are dying. They have been silent for too long because it’s a month after they were appointed. They must not remain silent like this, it’s high time for them to deal with the health crisis.

Nothing has been done since their appointment. We are yet to meet the minister, but the situation on the ground is very bad. There is need for an urgent intervention. I think the ministry wants cleansing. We are now confused by the government’s approach, they are not doing anything to make sure that the situation in hospitals is improved.

Even the few workers who are still going to work, the government is not giving them PPE. If the government was sincere enough they should have given them PPE. We are saying the government must address the issue of resources if they failed to deal with the issue of salaries because people are dying

The government is not showing any seriousness in as far as addressing the issue of the country’s health crisis is concerned. They are not calling for any meeting. At the moment we haven’t seen any improvement since the appointment of the new team and we are still to see any changes although we know that issues affecting the health sector need more time to be resolved

1. Manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, ventilators, hospital beds and other essential equipment.
2. Ending the current doctors and nurses’ strike over poor pay
3. Improving Health Workers’s work conditions.