MINISTER of Health Joseph Kasonde has instructed management at all hospitals where some nurses went on an illegal strike to expeditiously send dismissal letters to those health workers who have not received them to avoid creating confusion and uncertainty among the nursing fraternity and the public.
The Government recently sacked more than 250 nurses at Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Livingstone and Kasama General Hospitals for participating in an illegal strike.
The minister said reports suggesting that hospitals have continued to fire nurses are not true, adding that the dispatch of dismissal letters to the affected nurses was delayed because of administrative challenges faced by the institutions.
Dr Kasonde said this when he featured on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation’s (ZNBC)’s Radio Two programme Government Forum in Lusaka yesterday.
“The problem I have identified is the delay in serving those [dismissal] letters…as people say justice delayed is justice denied. The explanation is that the procedure of serving and following up those letters is laid down in administration.
“I have instructed that all managements in all institutions must by the end of today [Thursday] ensure that they have done the entire correspondence that they need and there are no more letters that are brought to our attention,” he said.
Dr Kasonde said managements should follow the procedure in executing penalties against erring nurses because failure to do so, may lead to dismissing innocent nurses.
The minister said he is anxious to see that the matter is brought to an end and that Government will carefully screen the situation at the affected hospitals to ensure that nurses who are innocent are not punished.
Dr Kasonde said some nurses could have been dismissed due to administrative challenges at the affected institutions.
“We are continuing to examine the situation of those who were written letters to ensure that we do not dismiss anyone who, otherwise, would not have been dismissed,” he said.
Dr Kasonde said operations at the UTH have been adversely affected but Government is working on ensuring that the situation returns to normal.
He said Government has recruited a lot of nurses and it will continue to do so to improve operational challenges at the affected hospitals.
Because you can receive treatment from abroad even if we suffer.
please fire them all
Fool,I u goingb to feed their families?
shimapalo, lindala ukalwale akaswende olo ukasumina ati govt niilufyanya or have a relative admitted to UTH, i bet its bad at UTH
Uli folo
Our dear govt, RETHINK YOUR DECISION. You cannot compromise the experience of the dismissed nurses for nubbies. New nurses have a learning curve before they can provide quality service. Yes , you may engage them to replace those dismissed but how about the quality of service? As politicians, you have the opportunity to be flown out of the country where the governments have adequately equipped their hospitals with expertise and machinery. Can’t you do the same for our country? PLEASE, THINK OF THE POOR PEOPLE WHO PUT YOU IN OFFICE. Majority of the Zambians can’t afford to travel to SA or India for treatment, and so, think of them by bringing facilities you follow in SA/India close to them.
I am surprised that the minister still wants more nurses fired!!!!! the general public is saying reinstate them. PF is a listening government and let’s see it act. The government did not consult widely in executing the dismissals. how can a cleaner get the same as a qualified nurse? You bwana minister are not there when cleaners boast “to getta ndalama semu semu na sister ngati training ndiya bwanji?” If bwana mininster one of the cleaners is your girlfriend then go ahead and fire the nurses for fighting for what is right. SHAME ON YOU.
their demand of K10,000.00 was to much.imagine,as a degree holder joined the service in 2009 as a planner was getting 2,200 far less from the nurses/midwives who have certificates and diplomas.now that we are being paid according to the number of years we spent in schools, this is welcome.moreover, as professionals we are suppose to resign and not go on strike to jeopardise the pipo we have oathed for.
…far less from the nurses/midwives…? …..we are suppose to…? ….jeopardise the pipo we have oathed…?
Mind your English bwana. A policy is underway to pay Govt workers based on competency as opposed to number of years spent in school. Exactly, the policy is termed ‘Performance-Based Remuneration in the Civil Service’. As for the issue of nurses, it will only take one insane chap to leave lose elections before they are all reinstated.
U V A SHALLOW MIND, I DOUBT U R A DEGREE HOLDER
Voters, YOU SEE?? THE DEVIL YOU KNEW(RB) was probably Better THAN THE DEVIL WE “THOUGHT” WE KNEW !! You vote them INTO POWER, they don’t even CARE IF YOU DIE!!! The chap with a urine bag IS SOON TO FLY TO LONDON!!!
they deserve to be fired,after all they are all rude ….they say UK and USA want nurses…why cant they go there then?its not an easy thing now to goto england and become a nurse if u dont have indefinate stay already,basicaly u need to have lived there for 5yrs,or married to some1 there etc….those days of zambian nurses flocking to UK are over…its just a dream now..
there is an opening in one of the southern africa countries, have u heard?
THE SAY EITHER U R AFFECTED OR INFECTED, WAIT , U LL SWALLOW YO WORDS
U based your writing on hearsay,the USA has work visa program in place especially in the health sector or a nurse can apply for quest workers program.believe or not in 6 months time most of the dismissed nurses will be in diaspora.nurses in new England were on strike(Lm & Lawrence hospitals)for 3 weeks,they resumed work but none was fired(essential workers).that’s how a civilized leadership does,.
This ***** called minister of health was not even elected and he can be so stupid? Anyway, with more bye-elections coming Zambians must show them the door! What a way to govern!!
Only a confused Minister can make such a public statement, it looks like the group is taking after their head that says anything without reflecting. What a stupid statement to make it proof that education does nothing to a man only helps them get a good paying job. This man needs wisdom to know what to say per time.
why did they not go abroad if they wanted better conditions?and which employer in UK will get an employee from abroad who was dismissed ?they were demanding k10 000 per month plus other allowances when they are just certificate and diploma holders from colleges when a degree holder doesnt even get that in government,a teacher with a degree gets 6000..so why shud rude and arrogant nurses get twice that?
Your president assured the 100% salary increment and dats wat they were demanding not 4% but he has increased his own when he was bus blaming RB when he was in opposition.
They were warned and given ample time to go back to work but listened to opposition political leaders who do not put food on their tables. That’s the price to pay for being so stubborn and let innocent human lives perish because of selfish reasons. I pity them but they got what they asked for. Experience should not be used as a means to blackmail a government in power. They have learnt the lesson the hard way.