Thursday, March 28, 2024

189 unemployed doctors hold a peaceful protest demanding government employs them

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189 unemployed doctors in Kitwe yesterday held a peaceful protest demanding that government employs them and have issued a 1 week ultimatum to the ministry of health to employ them failure to which they will match to statehouse.

The few that were available to protest on behalf of the other unemployed doctors who are in other parts of the country as far as Livingstone, matched from Kitwe teaching hospital to ZNBC Kitwe studios to air their grievances.

And representative of the unemployed doctors Wallace Ndumba says the 189 feel neglected by the government which had assured them of employment through the 2021 national budget and that the group wrote to the minister of health Sylvia Masebo who has not responded to their plea.

The doctors, who graduated in 2019 and 2020 from numerous institutions and hail from various parts of Zambia, are hopeful that President Hakainde Hichilema can intervene in the matter for them to be employed as promised by the previous regime over a year ago.

And a check by phoenix news at ministry of health headquarters in Lusaka found a Dr Fines Kamanda staging a one-man protest demanding that government honors its promise of employing about 500 doctors before the end of 2021.

In the recently proposed 2022 national budget, finance minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane announced that government will employ in excess of 11,000 health workers.

22 COMMENTS

  1. It has just dawned to them that bally’s budget did not cater for them. This is only Kitwe mind you. At this rate, all graduates want government jobs.
    Don’t worry, the virus bally has your back ati but you have to wait. With free access to medical care and education, January 1 was ideal for this protest. Nevertheless, it’s important to give it a try or forever hold your peace. You voted for Government jobs and government jobs you must get. Get paid and praise bally the virus so saith upnd Kapya.

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    • It’s not bally’s fault. How on earth Masebo still be a minister. Of course she will do things as she’s done with previous governments with no urgency to implement changes. I think that old lady should be sacked and give that ministry to a youth. By the way how many ministers are youths?. Time bally wakes up and fulfilling the campaign promises.

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  2. Our young doctors not yet employed by the govt should not holding protests to be employed as promised by the previous PF govt as they never meant well when it comes to fulfilling promises. The new dawn govt has made it clear in its budget for 2022 to employ 30,00 teachers and 11,000 medical personnel and sure all those not yet employed will be absorbed. Our unemployed doctors and teachers should hold their patience as the UPND govt they elected will attend to their concerns. Lets wait for budget implementation from Jan. 2022.

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  3. Thorn in the Flesh
    Did you just loose access to a wonderful life style after lungu terribly lost? you comments are very toxic

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  4. It is a sorry state of things. Zambia has never created meaningful employment since the MMD implementation of heavily indebted poor countries. HIPC was a total lie a toxic project fare. We were told to tighten our belts. Then I was a younger grad but I had no option but to immigrate from Luapula to Europe. At least in Europe I could perform all sorts of low disciplined jobs but paid me well and remittances were great too. I certainly feel for you young grads. If HH is to succeed he has to look at things from transformative governance and constitutionalism.

  5. It is a sorry state of things. Zambia has never created meaningful employment since the MMD implementation of heavily indebted p.o.o.r countries. H.I.P.C was a total lie a toxic project fare. We were told to tighten our belts. Then I was a younger grad but I had no option but to immigrate from Luapula to Europe. At least in Europe I could perform all sorts of low disciplined jobs but paid me well and remittances were great too. I certainly feel for you young grads. If Bally is to succeed he has to look at things from transformative governance and constitutionalism.

  6. All the problems left by PF government have
    Not been resolved.The new dawn is digging
    Old bones when day to day issues have not
    Been taken care of.Zambians voted for better life and management.

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  7. The people who promised you more jobs and never delivered for ten years are gone, and that is when you wake up to try to protest to people who have come to correct the wrongs

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  8. You can match from where ever……..Jobs will not come! Not under this govt. The IMF has already told Musokotwane:
    1. The civil service it to big…..no more employment.
    2. Trim the civil service to size that fits the wage bill….
    3. No more salary increaments….
    You can keep matching. and walking like John Walker….

  9. Lets face it doctors like anyother professional should be employed by the private sector. However, the employment by government should be for two years. This is a post academic employment on the understanding that doctors are still in training. The employment is meant to assess the docors suitability according to knowledge skills and attitudes to serve the zambian people and beyond.

  10. Why can’t they show some initiative, start private medical businesses in various parts of the country. Stop depending on Government to always provide jobs. They are educated people, become job creators. Leaver the dependency culture behind.

  11. It’s “Marched”, not Match. A match is field contest . Like football.
    How can you demand a Job?
    In what country in the world can you demand a Job?
    This is why there is over 2500 preventable deaths occuring every week, in hospitals across Zambia. “Because we demanded and they gave us, we can’t be fired”. SAD.

  12. These doctors are not doing anything illegal nor are they being influenced to protest by anyone whatsoever as is being alleged by the UPND’s health committee member Jerome Kanyika. This is the same Kanyika who hailed and applauded the Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) when the latter started a go-slow or was it a strike pushing for their unpaid allowances. And worse still that strike by the junior doctors was done during the waste Covid 19 third wave when the citizens were dying enmasse in our hospitals.The country was in dire need of the services of these doctors. But what stance did Kanyika and the UPND’s health committee take at the time? Of course they supported the strike!!! Extremely unpatriotic behavior!!! Today he must grow a spine and condemn the genuine action of the…

  13. Today Mr Kanyika must grow a spine and condemn the genuine action of the unemployed protesting doctors and accuse them of being influence by some people, my foot!!
    Come on!! You promised to employ more than 250 doctors when you assume power, don’t be naive. You thought governing a country was easy.
    So, a message to you Mr Kanyika and your friends in the UPND’s health committee, is for you to sober up and strongly recommend to your government to employ these protesting doctors before the fourth wave hits the country. Stop joking and get serious, you are now in power.

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