Full statement
Thursday, 16 February 2017
Government must urgently address striking doctors' grievances
The MDC is acutely concerned and indeed, deeply saddened by the ongoing industrial action by medical doctors. A healthy nation is a happy and progressive nation. Thus, the importance of the role that is played by medical practitioners in our day to day lives can never be over – emphasised.
The majority of Zimbabweans are poor citizens who are unable to afford the costs of engaging private medical doctors whenever they are in need of medical treatment.
We call upon the Zanu PF regime to immediately and urgently address the various grievances that have been raised by the striking medical doctors. Today marks day two of the doctors’ much justified industrial action. All public hospitals in Zimbabwe have been virtually paralyzed by the ongoing industrial action and it is the majority poor who are bearing the brunt of this strike. Patients are stranded and in fact, there is preventable loss of life that is taking place in our various public health institutions because there are no medical doctors to attend to patients. Those patients who are in need of critical care are most at risk.
The MDC is alarmed by the lack of concern and empathy on the part of the crumbling and faction – infested Zanu PF regime. The Ministry of Health & Child Care has adopted a very insensitive and uncaring attitude to the concerns that are being raised by the striking doctors. Our medical doctors are severely over – worked and thoroughly under – paid. At a time when President Robert Mugabe and members of his inner circle always travel to Singapore, India and some other such far – way places for the purpose of seeking their personal medical treatment, the Zanu PF regime is showing complete and utter disregard for the plight of our striking medical doctors.
Instead, we have since gathered reports to the effect that the striking medical doctors are now being threatened and victimised by State agents. This is a most reprehensible and despicable act being perpetrated by a cruel, insensitive, selfish and insipidly corrupt regime in the form of the clueless and visionless Zanu PF administration.
As a labour – backed political party that has always sympathised with the plight of the toiling and downtrodden workers of Zimbabwe, the MDC reiterates the urgent and pressing need for the relevant Zanu PF regime authorities to engage the striking medical doctors to enable the ongoing strike to be brought to an end sooner rather than later.
MDC: Equal Opportunities For All
Obert Chaurura Gutu
MDC National Spokesperson
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