President Michael Sata has been called upon to quickly intervene in the strike action by Nurses and other health workers at the University Teaching Hospital which has also spread to Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital.
Zambian Youths Association in the Fight Against Corruption (ZYAFAC) Executive Director Rickson Kenema has also called on President Michael Sata to remove the Ministers of Labour and Health for failing to bring to an end the strike action by the Nurses.
Mr Kanema has told QFM News that it is clear that the two Ministers have lost the respect of the striking health workers who have refused to heed to their pleas to return to work, and that keeping them in their positions is putting the lives of the patients at risk.
He notes that there seem to be no proper communication between the striking health workers and the two Ministers thereby continuing putting the lives of patients at risk.
Mr Kanema has also taken a swipe at the striking health workers for putting money first at the expense of human life.
He says health workers should realize that theirs is a divine call to save human life and not put money first.
Mr Kanema has since challenged those who feel money should come first at the expense of human life to resign because they are in a wrong profession altogether.
He adds that the continued strike by nurses and other health workers should be condemned by all well meaning Zambians.
The strike action by nurses at the UTH has entered day six today.
And Open Society Foundation is saddened that the strike by nurses and midwives at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) has continued without being resolved.
OSF Executive Director Sunday Chanda notes that unfortunately, there is no taking of stock by the Ministry of Health on the number of lives being lost directly as a consequence of the strike.
Mr Chanda says the other worrying aspect is the pressure being exerted on an already fragile healthcare system.
He says while OSF is of the view that the reported K10, 000.00 demands being made by nurses is unrealistic, what is even of greater concern is the leadership or lack of it by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of labour in pre-emptying these strikes even before they take root.
Mr Chanda notes that the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour have failed to handle the situation and must be held directly responsible for adopting a lackluster approach to the matter.
He states that OSF believes that there is every need for new blood at the Ministry of Health which is proactive and yet humble to respond to challenges in the health sector.
He says the distorted message between the Minister of Health Dr. Joseph Kasonde and his Permanent Secretary Dr. Peter Mwaba on this matter is sufficient signal to President Michael Sata to seriously consider bringing in fresh legs at this strategic ministry.
Mr Chanda says the arrogance from the PS for Health, warning nurses and stating that Government never promised nurses anything is highly regrettable.
He states that the Permanent Secretary must know better that he is not being honest with his assertions and that this is not time for threats.
Mr Chanda has since called on President Michael Sata, as former Minister of Health, to make strategic changes at the apex of the ministry of health if it is to deliver and rise above present and future challenges.
yawn…………….next please
These nurses are just trying to be funny.Its like they think they are the only ones who needs the increase.Teachers,police officers,soldiers and judicially workers need it also.
Sata’s wife has been a contributing factor. She may have a voice for the healtth system in Zambia, which is fine, but she has to stop the nonsence that is on going behind the doors, intimidating senior medical staff in the ministry of health.
If she wants to be the minister of health, she must come out open. This act of being Angelic on Camera and then being ruthless and evil behind the doors on senior staff must end.
It pays to make promises one can keep. This is a result of unrealistic promises that were made carelessly. However, corrective measures can be put in place so that we end the suffering by the innocent masses. To the nurses, my appeal is that they have made their point, but they should look beyond their emoluments and cherish the nobility of their profession. Let them get back to work and save lives. I’m sure govt will act, albeit slowly, but the solution does not lie with the president.
@ St. Jude. I like your advice to the striking nurses. The innocent masses are suffering because of their strike while the people who are supposed to look into their issues have access to expensive medical services. Yes, I agree nurses should look beyond their emoluments.
These nurses are just trying to be funny.Its like they think they are the only ones who needs the increase.Teachers,police officers,soldiers and judicially workers need it also
Kanema, behave.
Ati Bringing in fresh legs, So you are saying the “Minister of Health” – Dr Kaseba has failed?
The Florence Nightingale Pledge
I solemnly pledge myself before God and presence of this assembly;
To pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully.
I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous
and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.
I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession
and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping
and family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.
With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work,
and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.
If only pledges could be adhered to Zambia would have been a very beautiful country. But then pledges are broken at will even by presidents who are sworn in while holding the bible. In Zambia pledges and being sworn in are exercises in futility. In other words useless customary practices.
Let your relatives die thats when you will know the importance of a health worker.
What about your relatives?
These nurses pay a lot of money to attain these qualifications not to mention time spent on training. Then some one rxpects them to work for pea nuts. Lets be serious people we are living in a very dinamic world lets move with time.
iwe who doesnt pay lot of money to attain papers after all their education is subsidised and what time do they spend on lerning as compared to others….atase they shud resign and look for work elsewhere wer they can b paid more if i had the power i wud start firing and u wil see how quickly they will come back for work and i think let the government save money by firing them and re advertising their possitions do thy thnk they r the only workers……
It has never been the intention of a SALARY to make you rich, or prosper you. A salary rations you and sustains you. I sympathize with the fact that the Zambian system in so far as remunerating its professionals and other workers is moribund, but to expect that all support and spectacular moves forward will be based on a salary is clearly wishful thinking! It is as illusive as the equality and quota myth! Ok guys, you can now shoot…
Kwati pali no tuma qualifications……………..We know twakupokela pa vulva.
@Kalok, I beg to disagree. Unless you’re limiting your notion to African standards, a salary can (and should!) actually serve to make you prosperous. Even in Africa, it depends on your employer, your profession and how highly qualified you are.
This is infact explains the exodus of highly trained doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to western countries in search of “greener pastures”.
I think the way forward should go beyond a pay rise for the nurses. Working conditions and economic prospects in general must improve if people are to be satisfied with an average income. The government needs to listen to the nurses and find out what their problems really are apart from the financial aspect. And this dialogue does not even require presidential intervention.
@Kalok, I beg to disagree. Unless you’re limiting your notion to African standards, a salary can (and should!) actually serve to make you prosperous. Even in Africa, it depends on your employer, your profession and how highly qualified you are.
This infact explains the exodus of highly trained doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to western countries in search of “greener pastures”.
I think the way forward should go beyond a pay rise. Working conditions and individual prospects must improve in general if people are to be satisfied with an average income. The government needs to listen to the nurses and find out what their problems really are apart from the financial aspect. And this dialogue does not even require presidential intervention.
@Nine Chale, great comments, but notice how you quickly bring in the dimension of ‘dependence on the employer’ right there. Of course you will have to work hard to show me a civil service that has brought its employees to what we would define as “rich” status (independence of financial station within an economy, for instance). The private sector (including NGOs in Zambia) have a system that the Zambian government should have at its most basic before we even discuss salary. However, my point (which you allude to) is that driving towards salary amelioration in the absence of a workable system that ensures sustenance of the professions is a task in futility.
Let HH or Nevers make a useless comment about PF and Sata will respond by the evening, but let the nurses go on strike then Sata will wait until the 10th day to respond. Clearly tells you what issues the President cares about.
these nurses are becoming stupid let sata use the kcm solution tell them those that want to work go back those that dont want stay away and we count how many vacancies we r going to have then we employ
Leave the President alone. C-HIKAUMBA should his members and the minister of health for a solution.
Leave the president out this, democracy is about finding common ground and the president is an out sider in industrial matters.
#Bryson – Leave the president out of this? Really dude?
bryson – WTH! We need to address both systemic and systematic failures in the processes that deal with the welfare of workers. Can’t you ask yourself why it is that we have these bumps, they are addressed in isolation and then another wait is made for the next erosion of value and confidence before we can do anything!? We do need to involve the president and his entire outfit in this. We need to bring systems back on track!!!
Is UTH in Lusaka? Looks like someone has forgotten to tell the president of the event happening in Lusaka while he is busy pondering which other relative need to be appointed ambassador to Italy.
Do we have a presindent any way?
For the last 49 years health workers in zambia have behaved the same, its throwing a curved ball. The poor man only descends into wretchedness when he regards his lot as a burden unjustly imposed.
Strike action by public workers must not be politicized. It is wrong to blame one or two government officials for a strike. Negotiation is the answer. It is better to listen to retired nurses. However, the strike movement very often ignores calls to return to the negotiating table and resume work. That is the reason why private medical services exist. They exist to save lives when unions in public health institutions get politicized. Negotiate, resume work. Essential workers must exercise restraint.
If there demands will be met, I hope they will also pledge that they will change their work culture and attitude. Some nurces at UTH gives the impressione as they own the Hospital. And some work only when they want to. I witnessed a girl of about 25 preparing the body of her own dead mother in the presence of some nurces. Its not only money that matters but also the way they work….
How long has been the strike been on that it should only be brought up now as an issue to the president? Someone wake him up, UTH is not that far from State house and it is the place for the common man.
Lusaka City Council orders Pick n Pay PHI to close – please during the expansion for manda hill no shop was closed – normal life/shopping continued
What does that have to do with the nurses strike?
If govt paid these wages it would collapse the next month,give these nurses altimatam then fire the indisciplined ones,that won’t return to work. Govt please concentrate on development.
The president gave himself a hefty salary and nurses got peanuts. Really how do you vote for such an individual?
It serves them right.
Why is the President looking at that lady like that?
Its too much for the president plz spare him apapene he was sorting out the kcm issue,he has to sort out wrangles between chumbwe and komaki,the kabimba hot issue ,road-network awe awe mwebantu plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
NURSING IS NOT A CAREER BUT A SERVICE TO THE PIPO. A PARTION TO SAVE LIVES,
UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO SUCH QUALITY IN OUR NURSES. SERVICE FIRST, MONEY LAST.
These Nurses should just be gotten rid off. They are not even important. They just give medicine to patients and nothing else. They are rude and they do not care about life. Fire them…muzaona how they will get back to work. Bind and Cast…Cast and bind!
K 10,000.00 for each nurse. These people are crazy! How many nurses do we have in the country? May be 90,000…so we are talking about K900,000, 000.00 per month rebased. Let them ask themselves! Where will the government get all that kinda of money? Let us be realistic! Do we have to forego the development we have started seeing about roads, schools etc at the expense of hefting the pockets of these characters?
Please nurses, we know you need better salaries but don’t forget you have a duty towards your patients. Remember the proffessional code of conduct.God is watching you.
Its dangerous to make promises you cannot honour. The minister assured these people that all was being attended to, and the guys returned to work!
The demand for his head which he staked must at least be met.
The President must sharpen the machete for nurses..
How about the one that was used on Komoki?
why trouble j kasonde wen the one handling health issues in that ministry is mama first first lady kasonde is jst lyk a chola boy period.