Kitwe Central Hospital Acting Nursing Manager Gray Chishimba says operations at the institution were limping due to the continuous strike by unionized health staff.
Mr. Chishimba told ZANIS in Kitwe yesterday that currently only a skeleton staff of students were working.
He said the admission rate has also dropped from 300 per day to 200 patients.
He added that there was need for the health workers to resume work and allow their union leaders to conclude negotiations with government.
Mr. Chishimba said health workers formed a critical wing of government in terms of service delivery hence the need for them to resume work.
The health workers were demanding for a salary increament of K1.5m across the board.
The Health workers were also demanding that assets recovered from the K10 billion that was allegedly stolen from the Ministry of Health be sold and money channeled to clear out standing salary ares for health workers.
Among other grievances, the Staff were also calling on government to increase housing allowance to K1million.
Mr. Chishimba said the striking staff also want an enquiry into giving loans, like household and car loans.
The strike which started with a sit in protest on Friday has culminated in what management was considering an illegal strike.
The situation in government schools were teachers are striking was bad as operations have been crippled and schools deserted.
Public workers whose unions were currently negotiating with government have decided to go on strike to protest the 11% increment being offered by government.
ZANIS
While some diplomats bale ponta ati don’t travel abroad for medical treatment if you don’t have enough funds. Ni survival tata. All this is due to the failure of GRZ. What a shame!
instead of buying hearses pump the money into the hospitals. Pa zed awe mwe twachula pafula
You know guys, I honestly wonder if things will ever, EVER change in Zambia, because everything seems to just go in circles. Maybe I am just way too impatient I don’t know. Jesus please hurry up coming back to save us because I am seriously bored.
Gvt would rather send money to South Africa unlike spending it on its own people. Shame on you,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you have stolen enough and served for your children and you grand children or else they will pay for your sins.
LT whats up with you , was my comment really bad
This is a bad, i hope the govt is looking itnto this matter , coz not evryone can afford to go South Africa for treatment.
Give the medical people money instead of buying manda manda. Our medical personnel work under very poor conditions with no motivation.
It’s showtime. I saw it coming. At a time when government should have shown commitment to addressing the credit crunch, politicians awarded themselves salary increments barely a month into office. Mugabe and his unity government are more savvy in terms of their country’s financial crisis; in the interim, they have waived payment of salaries and all politicians and top government officials only receive a paltry monthly stipend of $100. What a clear message to show your people that you are with them in ‘tightening the belt.’
The game has justed started.More players will come on board very soon.WAPYA MUZI.
Bafuna kumipoka cintu canu ici
Let the people who negotiated for manda mandas go ahed and negotiate the conditions of service for the health personnel. I think they will give a good offer for whatever they are asking for since they decided to purchase those expensive manda mandas without considering the plight of workers
Sad that we have to go thru this year in year out. This is now an annual event like Kuomboka, Mutomboko, Trade Fair, N’cwala, UEFA Championz League Final, Shimunenga, Lwindi, BP Top Eight ….. Where are the technochrats heftly paid to plan against work stoppagez or strikes by doing the right thing in time? My heart bleeds.
Continue your strike guys.. this is a good cry… especially concerning that ‘scam’ thief/plunderer’s money recovery…..
Kitwe Central Hosp is my workplace and the morale for workers esp nurses there is really low.Docs are equally affected but they rarely have time to strike because they’re kept busy all the time.The management enjoys all the incetives like car and hse loans while the majority of the workers who work round the clock don’t qualify for such.It’s tricky and I personally don’t imagine things changing anytime soon.Maybe in the next life.Some docs who once worked under these institutions are now snr govt officers at the MOH HQ in Lsk and they seem to have forgotten the problems they left at such institutions.Our problems as a country are deep rooted and they involve our political leaders,civil servants and the general citizenry who are responsible for electing their leaders.We’ve a long way…
Give them what the want it is their time also.It is high time Nurses,Teachers and the Police get good salaries.If you want to fight Corruption these three need good Salaries