Junior Doctors Strike Called off
6 April 2016
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JUNIOR doctors have finally signed contracts with the government, ending a month-long impasse.
The doctors yesterday told the state media: “We did it in the interest of patients.”
The doctors, just out of university, refused to sign contracts on March 1 saying the agreements were tantamount to slavery.
A group of young doctors at Parirenyatwa led their colleagues to append their signatures on the agreements yesterday.
“In the interests of patients, we’ve decided to end this stalemate and join the country’s health sector although we’re not happy with the contracts being offered. We also discovered that some signed the contracts Nicodemously, so we feared victimisation,” said the doctors, through a representative.
At Mpilo Central Hospital, sources said doctors took the contracts home and promised to return them today after signing.
Gerald Gwinji, the Ministry of Health and Child Care permanent secretary, said the junior doctors are starting work today. “Yes they’ve signed. Check with the institutions tomorrow (today), you’ll find them working,” said Gwinji.
Over 60 doctors had petitioned the Health Service Board (HSB) over a decision to employ them as contract workers.
The decision resulted in an acute shortage of health personnel at public hospitals as junior doctors refused to sign the contracts. In a document titled “Petition against the proposed doctors’ contracts”, sent to the HSB, the junior doctors said: “We junior doctors of the class of 2016 are petitioning you to rescind the document presented to us as a ‘Contract for an Internship Training Programme’. After perusing this document, we have found it to be grossly flawed as it violates our constitutional rights, labour laws as well as women’s rights.
“The contract doesn’t state how much one earns during the period and prohibits us from joining any grouping or trade union so that the government can exploit us.”
The contract, the junior doctors said, denied female doctors maternity leave if they fall pregnant, a clause which was amended in a revised contract.
The government has offered them a gross monthly salary of $895, before allowances.
The new contract now states that female doctors can only fall pregnant after serving for 12 months.
Referral hospitals such as Mpilo, United Bulawayo Hospitals, Parirenyatwa, Harare Hospital and Chitungwiza, which together serve millions of patients each year, were the hardest hit.-State Media