UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has called on the PF government to quickly resolve the doctors crisis.
Mr. Hichilema said Government must quickly address the concerns of Resident Doctors in order to avert a crisis in the delivery of health services in the country.
“We are concerned by reports that resident doctors are being threatened with arrests and intimidation, a situation which appears to be fueling the crisis instead of resolving it,” Mr Hichilema said.
“We are not being insensitive to the matter at hand, but we fear that if Government continues with its heavy handedness, the situation might get out of hand.”
He added, “We are aware that doctors fall under essential workers and are not unionized but this should not disadvantage them when they complain of unresolved issues. We expect authorities to give them a hearing so that industrial harmony is maintained.”
Doctors are demanding, among many other matters, the payment of salary arrears for 309 of their members, creation of positions for senior resident medical officers, registrars and consultants and recruitment of 500 graduate doctors who are currently roaming the streets without jobs.
Mr Hichilema has since called upon Labour Unions, the Civil Society and indeed ordinary citizens to speak out against such injustices saying doctors are workers, like any other worker and their plight should attract the interest of the Labour Movement and all stakeholders.
“The nation cannot expect the best from our doctors if they are subjected to frustrating conditions and such humiliation,” he said.
The UPND leader said the country is facing a serious health crisis through the ravages of Covid 19 and Government cannot afford to compromise the situation by fueling a go-slow among resident doctors when their plight can easily be addressed.
“It is saddening that with the high unemployment rate, political instability and the Covid-19 pandemic the country is facing, there is a looming go slow by doctors in our health system, and this is due to insincerity among those in positions of authority,” Mr Hichilema said.
“We implore Government to release funding in order to resolving the doctors’ plight and honour its obligations. Let us not set a precedent for other workers facing similar circumstances,” he said.
“I want to remind those in authority that if a Doctor is not in a proper disposition and is pleased with the conditions of service, that doctor cannot be expected to discharge his or her duties with utmost dedication.”
“Our fear is that thousands of innocent Zambians will be negatively impacted by the effects of this go-slow if the situation remains unresolved,” he said.
Mr Hichilema added, “I also urge the Labour Movement to help resolve this matter by applying their negotiation skills and ensure productivity levels in the health sector are maintained.”
The UPND calls on government to resolve the issues. That’s all you can come up with, mr HH? Doesn’t sound very decisive to me. More than anything else I want Lungu to lose the election, but I am not very convinced that you are going to be the solution to the country’s problems!
The UPND should gather a group of those doctors and get statements from them that no payments were made. And DEMAND that the PF government provides PROOF of those payments. THAT’S decisive action, not just “ask the government”. ACTION!!!
What more do you want him to say or do? At the moment all we can all do is appeal to those in power until we exercise our on 12th August…
Instead of resuming his Election Campaigns disguised as “Working Visits ” Lungu should pay the Drs their dues and meet their demands. We are in a Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis and can’t afford the Drs to continue with their “Go slow”. ECL is going to Luapula to hold Gatherings which are Covid-19 Super Spreaders while he has banned Rallies by Opposition Parties. ECL is such a hypocrite. What he doesn’t know is that People can see what he is doing to Opposition Parties. Voters will instead give HH and UPND Alliance sympathy votes. Whatever ECL does its too late. Voters have already made their minds to vote him out on August 12. ECL and PF have failed Zambians. On August 12 ECL “ku wire”. Welcome our Able and Visionary President HH. HH aka Bally will fix it.
HH is 100% right. And that’s his job as an opposition leader
PF need to seat down and listen to the doctors and find a solution.
The PF Director of Media is talking NONSENSE threatening doctors to be dismissed. PF Don’t be immune to receiving constructive criticism.
HH, you do not inspire Zambians. The PF has beaten you 5 times and you have continued to condemn the party that is Loved by 7 provinces.
Bwana HH talk about things that inspire Zambians. Doctors is just a small number of Zambians.
HH can’t say much then what he
Has said.This is because the next
They will say is HH is inciting the
Doctors to go on strike. At the moment the ball is in PF hands so
Difficult for HH to intervene.
He now expects us to solve a ‘crisis’ which he deliberately created by paying desperate politically inclined doctors to strike? Very shameful behaviour. This is why this tribal party upnd will never rule. Mark my words hh will never be president no matter how much money he uses to bribe poor people.
Is field ruwe going to publish another article insulting me after his most recent article was ridiculed again? Hahahaha
Be reminded, once again, don’t feed the trolls …….Trolls seek out emotional responses and find provocation amusing, so replying to them or attempting to debate them will only make them troll more. By ignoring a troll completely, they will likely become frustrated and go somewhere else on the internet.
To the PF government, doctors are not a factor. Whether they meet their demands or not, they know very well that these are part of well informed citizens who are not going to vote for them. The PF’s votes will come from villagers in the rural provinces who have no clue about the happenings in the country
If lungu had any ounce of integrity in him , he should have called for a meeting with the doctors or their representatives and worked out a deal……..
But as usual , the fraud convict thieving moron lawyer says that is not his job……???
I remember in his first year of assuming office , there was some critical issue with one the ministries …….lungu point blank told reporters that was not his job when asked about it……
that is like a shop manager telling a customer who complins about a staff member that is nothing to fo with him as that was not his job ?
I will never forget that incident of lungu…
He was better off quiet and use this as a campaign tool. wrong advisors again. The doctors issue is a mess and why try join it? Now KZ says you paid politically inclined docs to protest.. Lobe!!