But Patients Are Still To Suffer Until Next Week

By Farai D Hove| The government has announced it will reverse the Nov coup leader, Gen Constanino Chiwenga’s suspension of doctors.

The latest following Chiwenga’s press conference yesterday (Thursday) when he claimed that the suspended doctors are mere students, has seen the assigned Minister Of Health choosing to reinstate the doctors.

Chiwenga, who flies away to South Africa for treatment, also said the door was now closed for the doctors as he said their strike was illegal. He furthermore played the previous “nurse-trick” on them by declaring that he would easily replace their posts. But on Friday afternoon as ZimEye revealed, senior doctors and senior consultations joined hands to condemn Chiwenga and the Health Service Board’s move.

Negotiations to reinstate suspended junior doctors have since commenced as government works to find an amicable solution to end the impasse, the state media reported late Friday evening.

Patients will however continue to struggle without doctors for the whole weekend since government has shifted the meeting from Friday to Monday next week.

The state broadcaster quoted the Health and Child Care Minister Obediah Moyo saying his ministry, the Health Service Board (HSB), consultants and senior registrars “have been in dialogue with regards to the issue of suspended junior doctors and a bipartite meeting has been scheduled for next week Monday.”

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Medical Association held a media briefing this Friday amid calls for the disagreeing parties to dialogue which is key in resolving the impasse between doctors who have withdrawn their services and their employer, the HSB.

Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association Secretary General Dr Anele Bhebhe welcomed the intervention by the consultants.

On Thursday, Acting President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga toured Natpharm as well as Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to get a clearer situation of events on the ground.