Government has advised health workers in the country to calmly wait for the review of their conditions of service.
Eastern Province Minister Isaac Banda said government was aware of the important role nurses and other health personnel play in the country hence it was ready to listen and respond to their concerns about improved condition of service.
He also appealed to nurses to put the interest of patients first by not leaving the country in search of greener pastures.
Mr. Banda said the nurses should be patient and have trust in their union leaders as they bargain for the review of some allowances which have remained unchanged for a long time.
He said this in a speech read for him by Deputy Permanent Secretary, Nicholas Banda at the commemoration of nurses day held at Chipata Golf club yesterday.
He was responding to concerns raised by the Zambia Nurses Union Organization (ZUNO) Chairperson, Japhet Mulipa over uniform allowance, which he said had not been amended since 1995 and still stood at K35, 000.00.
“The introduction of the remote rural hardship and retention allowances demonstrates government’s commitment in improving the working conditions of the health workers and also strategies have been put in place for continued education and provision of sufficient equipment to provide quality patient care,” he added.
Mr. Banda expressed optimism that the current negotiations going on between the union and government would result into a fare deal.
Mr. Banda said government was aware that accommodation of staff working in the health sector was cardinal in the delivery of quality health services and it has to this effect embarked on the construction of infrastructure in training schools and also office accommodation.
He said government was spending a lot of resources to train nurses who should reciprocate by serving within the country to improve staffing levels.
Mr. Banda has since urge nurses to take their profession as a personal commitment and responsibility in order to give hope to patients and save lives.
And speaking at the same function, Mr. Mulipa said nurses were faced with a lot of challenges which the union could not tackle without concerted efforts from stakeholders.
Mr. Mulipa said there was need to increase housing allowance for nurses from K200, 000 to some reasonable amount to enable the health workers access decent accommodation.
He said most nurses were staying in dilapidated houses in the province and need refurbishment.
“The reality at hand in most rural health centres still have one nurse who serves 300 patients throughout the day,” he stated.
This year’s theme is “Delivery Quality, Serving Communities, Nurses leading Care Innovations,”
ZANIS
Just don’t train nurses but build more accommodation for them too abwezani nayimwe. Same goes for teachers. Strategy please. And dont tell me palibe ndrama because………
Basic Economic principle of Development : People respond to incentives !
nobody wants to stay where conditions are bad no wonder they leave!!!!!!!!!!!
Why Ministers did not wait for salary increments? Why should other wait? You don’t lood at interests of others first but your own interest first. Why should nurses suffer when ministers are living in luxury? Let them just go where ever they will be recognised and paid well.
Improve their conditions of service if you dont want them to leave!
Mr Minister try live in a thatched hat with
What kind…….give em better conditions……thats the reason all you fly out when you get sick cos there is sumthing fishy with our health institutions
I wish this assurance came from the Minister of Health himself. And for how long are public health workers including Doctors and Nurses going to wait for improved conditions of service? It is not good to always try to put away the china.
Instead of put tax payers’ money to good use such as improving civil servants’ conditions of service, bwezani is busy going around the world and on retreats. Mwani kanga a Bwezani.
The minister is well accomodated, has a big car, has guards and money in a rural setting he is a King. If he had to live in a thatched hut with erratic pay days and had qualifications, am sure he would have looked for green pastures
To you Nurses serving in Zambia, how long are you going to suffer under the hands of those greedy politicians? Why should you be the ones to wait all the time? Why should you be subjected to a miserable life when you can sell your skills to those who value your work? Know that even though Nursing is a noble career, where you should consider patients first, it is also a career that can be apprecaited and well paying in other parts of the world. STOP COMPLAINING,GET THE TRAINING AND GO FOR GREENER PASTURES!
Guys get real..look at the reasons why nurses leave..and put yourselves in thier shoes..would u rather put the welfare of patients first and let your kids not have proper education?? For whose benefit…not proper accodation either…If the govt wants loyalty..they should emply dogs..
“He also appealed to nurses to put the interest of patients first by not leaving the country in search of greener pastures.”
This is moral blackmail. People do not eat patriotism. It has been said that ‘a soldier marches on a full stomach.’ In like manner high morale is necessary for a nurse to give the best of him/herself nto the people they care for. Florence Nightingale did not do what she did without money. She raised a lot of money for herself and her patients to be treated and cared for. Put these nurses in the right atmosphere and they will work well. Zambians complain about their nurses but these same nurses are highly regarded beyond the borders.
Why shouldn’t they leave in search of greener pastures, when you pay them penuts, where on earth can one find a house in the range of K200,000? not even a servant quaters are in that range. Just improve their conditions of services otherwise let them leave to otther countries were they can appreciate their services since you people don’t appreciate them.
You must be joking! Put Shani of patients first?? Why did he not put interests of the citizens before accepting salary increament? Dont hoodwink us please. No incentives, then the nurses have the right to leave.
Commemoration of the nurses day theme is nice but not applicable. The nurses in Zambia are trained for any world standard so if they are not well appreciated back home truly they will find somewhere to go. We know the Govt is trying as they claim, but its not enough bane. I recall the nurses in the mines then were well looked after, they had money that saw them up to the end of the month, but the nurses in the Govt were paid very little and this has remained the same up to now. In other countries, the gap between the workers is not that bad as in our country. Imagine getting K1,000,000.00 a month for all the bills is a mockery. You are talking of a £150 a month. I hope things will be better for nurses to stay, or else try elsewhere. Canada, USA, Namibia and Botswana they need nurses.
Its all about the Benjamins!! This is what a free market economy brings. We you train also commit yourself to policies that continue attracting this workforce. Also pay them properply so that they can afford to feed their families. You can not depend on solidarity to put an end to poverty and also build an economy. There is a reason/reasons why people chose to be mobile and you can not stop the tren. You can only minimize it by attracting a few. Even here in Europe people are free to move in search of the paper. Yesterday I was in Germany and today am in Poland. Freedom of movement also ensures that people look for greener pastures elsewhere. Just on holidays in poland and Germany here I come coz you know how to keep people in place. Higher wages……….social security….
“Just calmly wait for your review of conditions” WHILE we drive in latest pajeros,LandCruisers,SUVs and hey ,by the way, dont worry about us,we will fly out of zed wen we fall sick !
You cant look after patients well if you are hungry and are stressed because you cant pay bills or go back home to a decent accommodation. Nurses are human beings, just like politicians. Can these politicians live on the meagre salaries nurses get.
Let nurses go where they can have a life. The solution is to offer market wages otherwise market forces will not favour you.
Be serious, Do you think these people will use patients to pay for their needs. Pay them well just like you are well paid for doing nothing period
increase their salary when you feel like. Miniter you are living a better life than nurses and doctors. Don’t listen to these miniters with there selfish motives even manages to say there are looking in to it not we will increase. when chances come. just go.
Anita
Viva mother sarrogate!Never listen to these guys,they nevr seem to run out of words to say.If you see a better propsect somewhere,kindly go for it.No goverment cares for yoy no wonder they cant even give you basic proctection against some of the communical diseases you fight eg cholera. viva migrations and abash intimidations
nursing is a career not a charitable service. if you really appreciate their contributions you would improve their conditions of service!
Much as we appreciate this is our country, we also need to earn a living. Why should I NOT go if chance favors me, especially that my mind is prepared for it? Kuti wasuka waipaya nabalwele na ma problems yaku bond!
I’d rather leave than suffer. All careers are a form of business, we want to reap after we sow.
Kuti walya ‘interest in patients.’ Bane kwangala uko.
It’s all well and good for govt or whoever it was to say that nurses should put patients interests before their own,just like govt puts the peoples interests before their own. These people have families to feed and bills to pay and if you are not ready to recognise their vital contribution and give them thier dues then at least give them an option to work where they are getting enough to meet their needs. How do you expect them to work well when they have so much to contend with