DOZENS of doctors and nurses besieged Zimbabwe’s biggest medical centre, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on Wednesday morning demonstrating over meagre salaries and poor working conditions, Zim Morning Post can report.
The medical practitioners were pressing for higher wages after high inflation eroded incomes.
They were also demanding accountability and an end to stinking corruption at their parent ministry.
The country is grappling with COVID-19 pandemic that needs the demonstrators’ attention but the medics cited that they were incapacitated to continue serving the nation under the current environment.
The placards-waving medics could be seen toyi-toying at the hospital grounds registering their discontent.
Ironically, the medical practitioners have demonstrated at a time their principal , Health minister Obadiah Moyo is under fire over his alleged involvement in a murky COVID-19 equipment procurement deal that has attracted the attention of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
Government and doctors have had a long-standing tiff that has resulted in the practitioners downing tools at the country’s public hospitals in September 2019.
The strike paralysed the health sector compelling telecoms billionaire Strive Masiyiwa to table an offer that broke the impasse.
He funded doctors for six months through a fellowship programme run by his Higherlife Foundation, a charitable organisation.
Recently, a Beitbridge based doctor, appealed to well-wishers for assistance in feeding her family- a clear testimony of how hard pressed members of the fraternity are.
Neither government nor hospital authorities had issued a statement at the time of writing.