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MDC – T Press Statement

Doctors and nurses play a very crucial role in the country’s health delivery system. It’s catastrophic for the majority of the peoples’ healthcare if doctors are not reporting for duty due to the ongoing industrial action. The Government should go out of its way to discuss with the doctor’s representatives in order to break the ice. This must be taken as a matter of utmost emergency. The right to life is enshrined in the constitution of Zimbabwe and it is a right that conscience alone without the law will not allow that right to be taken away from any human being regardless of his or her status. Intransigence and stubbornness will only make the ordinary people continue to suffer more because they’re the ones who mostly use public health institutions to access health care. There is need for careful and empathetic consideration of the doctors concerns since most of these concerns are legitimate.

Trying to push for constitutional amendments to prevent further strikes is not the solution to the crisis in the health sector. This is not the time for the Minister of Health Obadiah Moyo to be playing politics with people’s lives. Every Zimbabwean has the constitutional fundamental human right to healthcare as enshrined in section 76 of the constitution of Zimbabwe.

Failure to provide a safe working environment for Doctor’s, adequate medication and adequate salaries for the learned doctors shows lack of political will by the government to uphold section 76(4) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Many people are dying prematurely because of the ongoing industrial action by medical doctors. This matter has to be resolved sooner rather than later. Both Government and the medical doctor’s representative association should prioritize the welfare and concerns of ordinary Zimbabweans above everything else.

As a Social Democratic party which strongly believes in equal opportunities for all, we are calling upon the Public service to review civil servants salaries and the private sector to improve workers salaries. MDC-T is a party borne out of labour struggles and deeply rooted in Pan-Africanism ideals of human dignity, peace, equality and justice for all in this case labour justice.

The Ministry of Health and Health Services Board should ensure decent work for all health service workers in line with international labour standards including the right to a safe working environment, equal pay for work of equal value. Instead of plotting to punish doctors demanding their rights, the health ministry should be focusing on strategies to institute a sustained recovery program for the public health sector, equip and capitalize health institutions.

We implore President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and ensure that a lasting solution is found. The government should respect and uphold constitutional provisions on labour and right to healthcare. We need doctors back at work. MPs must stop majoring on minors in Parliament and focus on immediate issues which need solutions like yesterday like the doctors strike, teachers salary grievances, Zimbabwe currency reform and high prices of basic commodities.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
MDC-T National Secretary for Information and Publicity

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