By A Correspondent- Doctors here have ignored government’s calls to return to work instead calling on their employer to address their plight urgently adding that failure to address their plight would worsen the already crippled health delivery system.

Speaking at Parirenyatwa hospital Monday morning, Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association Dr Masimba Ndoro urged their employer to be forthcoming with a solution to the doctors’ genuine grievances.

He said in an interview with ZimEye:

“It’s unfortunate that the 48 hour ultimatum has lapsed but doctors have not been able to return to work. They remain incapacitated.

It’s unfortunate that the employer has ignored doctors’ genuine grievances.”

Speaking on whether the doctors would appeal a Labour Court ruling which gave striking doctors a 48 hour ultimatum to return to work, Dr Ndoro said his association was still consulting their legal team on the way forward.

He said:

“…..regarding whether we will appeal or not, we will make consultations with our legal advisors with how to make the next step forward.

…However, let me hasten to say that, if they fire us, it won’t solve the health crisis. But we must be confident with our employer that he will capacitate us. If they do decide to fire us, they will be firing approximately 1600 doctors who work in public hospitals.”