By Paul Nyathi|Under pressure Minister of Health and Child Care Doctor David Parirenyatwa has threatened to dismiss all striking nurses if they do not report back for duty immediately.

In a statement issued through the ZBC news on Monday evening, Dr Parirenyatwa ordered all the striking nurses to return to work immediately as failure to do so warrants breach of contract.

Dr Parirenyatwa said government has since instructed Treasury to look into the financial implications of the nurses’ demands, with a view to resolving them amicably thereby rendering the industrial action by the nurses unnecessary.

“In the light of this major concession by government, which has been made against well-known economic challenges facing the nation, in the interest of patients, and in order to avert any loss of life through disruption of essential services, the reasons for calling for the industrial action no longer obtain,” said Parirenyatwa.

“It is therefore against this auspicious background that any nursing staff which does not respond and promptly report for duty as assigned will thus be deemed in breach of contract of employment, and thus deserving of appropriate disciplinary action,” threatened the Minister.

Dr Parirenyatwa said that his ministry is considering the representations by the nursing staff through the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA).

He said subsequent meetings between the association, the government and the Health Services Board, the authorities have acknowledged the nurses’ grievances as genuine and valid. 

In his statement Dr Parirenyatwa said the nurses’ grievances require urgent attention.

“The government is therefore appealing to the striking nurses to call off their actions to make way for harmonious industrial relations,” he said.

Minister Parirenyatwa said the calling off of the industrial action is even more urgent in view of the high mobility in the country related to the impending independence holiday period.

Dr Parirenyatwa said as the  minister responsible, he is also urging the striking staff to go back to work without any further delay, to allow government, through its appropriate arms, to finalise decisions on the matter.

At the time of this report, the nurses had not paid hid to the Minister’s threats with the situation at the hospitals gradually turning dire.

The nurses strike enters its second day on Tuesday after a similar strike by doctors which ended a few days ago lasted thirty two days.

Scores of patients are needlessly dying at the government hospital due to lack of resources and an unhappy personnel.