Own Correspondent|GOVERNMENT has begun inviting applications from candidates who have completed five years in Medical School and are ready for internship, as well as foreign trained doctors meeting local requirements, for placement at public health institutions.

The invitation by Government comes as junior doctors, who went on strike on December 1 last year, have so far refused to return to work as government has continued to fail to commit to answering their demands.

Question remains, who will apply for the jobs?

In a statement on Thursday, Health and Child Care Secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji said: “All candidates who successfully completed their Part V Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees in universities in Zimbabwe and are due to take up their first year internship, and foreign trained doctors who successfully sat for the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe Board examinations and are ready for their first year internship are advised to report at any of the below listed institutions to apply for placements to do the internship. Choice of institution will be on a first come first served basis.”

Dr Gwinji said Harare Central Hospital would accommodate 58 placements, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals 57, Mpilo Central Hospital 43, United Bulawayo Hospital 40 and Chitungwiza Central Hospital 6.

“Applications are directed to submit their applications through the director (human resources) at the Ministry headquarters in office no 4-49, 4th Floor Kaguvi Building, Harare, indicating their choice of institution,” said Dr Gwinji.

Radiographers also joined in the strike by junior doctors, crippling service delivery at health institutions.

Government on New Year announced it was taking a number of measures to bring normalcy to public health institutions.