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Dr Chimedza

Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
There is likely to be a huge backlog of theatre cases in 2015 as booked procedures were all cancelled with striking doctors vowing not to return to work until their demands were fulfilled.

This was revealed to the Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr Paul Chimedza yesterday during his tour of Harare Hospital and Parirenyatwa Hospital to assess the state of affairs in the absence of doctors.

While some health workers told the Deputy Minister that they were managing the situation, others had the guts to tell Dr Chimedza that the situation was deplorable.

Dr Chimedza toured most of the critical departments including the casualty, paediatrics and adult wards – most of which were nearly empty.

“Obviously we want our doctors to be back at work but we want to thank those few that are at work now, the nurses and all the healthcare workers that are holding fort.

“The situation at Harare Hospital is stable they are managing under very difficult conditions and we want to thank them.

“We hope the bi-partite team will come out with something so that everyone can go back to work and we will all be happy,” said Dr Chimedza after his tour.

Dr Chimedza said the dire situation was not uniform across all departments as some doctors such as in the radiology department were not on strike.

Asked about the pace of the negotiations, Dr Chimedza said there was no way he could speed up the process as due processes had to be followed.

Dr Chimedza blamed the doctors for not following the proper channels of negotiations in the first place hence delaying the whole process of reaching an amicable solution.

He said while negotiations continued to take place, only critical cases were being attended to at central hospitals.

Other cases including those that usually go straight to central institutions without being referred were being sent back to clinics.

“Cases that really require emergency attention are the ones that are being seen here. Harare City is seeing cases that they normally refer,” Dr Chimedza said.

“Doctors from the army are coming in here and there to assist with the situation.”

Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association president Dr Fortune Nyamande said they would not go back to work until their demands were met.

He said they had agreed on an on call allowance of $10 per hour for 12 hours a month and a risk allowance of $180 per month with effect from November 1.

However, he said this agreement was not binding since it was not written down.

“We want them to show their commitment that they will honour what they have promised but they are not willing to do that,” he said.

The junior doctors downed tools a fortnight ago while their seniors said they were joining in the strike describing the situation as unworkable – further crippling service delivery.