MDC-T says government must address grievances of striking doctors

The Movement for Democratic Change has called on the government to address the grievances of striking doctors as it is the poor that are suffering because they cannot afford the services of private doctors.

Doctors went on strike yesterday complaining that there were a number of unfulfilled promises by the government.

These included a minimum salary of $720 a month and a duty-free vehicles policy.

The doctors also said the government must spell out how many posts it was creating because some 120 trained doctors will be jobless in two weeks.

Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said on Tuesday the government had opened up 250 posts for doctors and 2 000 posts for nurses.

As a labour-backed party, the MDC-T said it always sympathized with toiling and downtrodden workers and called on the government to engage striking doctors instead of threatening to fire them.

“The MDC is alarmed by the lack of concern and empathy on the part of the crumbling and faction – infested ZANU-PF regime,” the party said in a statement.

“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.”

The party said instead of talking to doctors there were reports that the striking medical doctors were 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,’ the MDC-T said.

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