Harare, Zimbabwe (News of the South)-Villagers have been advised to offer nursing staff farm produce such as pumpkins and sweet potatoes to create goodwill with their unmotivated health personnel strained by poor working conditions and low remuneration.
Speaking in Muzarabani where he launched the National Adolescent and Youth and Reproductive Health (ASRH) Strategy II: 2016-2020 report on Friday, Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa said reciprocity was the key to working together between the villagers and nurses.
“Nurses you should handle your patients with care, offering assistance gently when dealing with them”.
“You people should also offer these nurses pumpkins and sweet potatoes as they assist you” he said in seeming jest that is ironic considering the state of affairs in the sector.
The health sector recently ended a strike in which they complained of poor working conditions and low remuneration, only ending it as a humane consideration after the government failed to adequately satisfy their needs.
An official with their labour representative organisation said they had decided to go back to work as a response to the plight of sick people only.
Meanwhile Parirenyatwa said the government is concerned at the continued high number of early child marriages in the country especially Mashonaland Central where the statistics account for 28 percent of the whole country.
“That’s why we have decided to come and launch this ASRH here in Mash Central because early child marriages have remained high here”, he said.
The ASRH is aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with sexual and reproductive activity among adolescents and young people.
Zimbabwe’s first ASRH strategy covered the period 2010-2015 after the recognition of the plight of adolescents and young people I relation to sexual and reproductive health challenges.
Globally adolescent pregnancy remains a major challenge contributing significantly to maternal and child mortality.
About 16 million girls aged 15-19 and about 2 million girls under 15 years give birth every year and about 95 percent of teenage pregnancies occur in middle income countries such as Zimbabwe.
Southern Africa has the world’s highest level of adolescent pregnancy estimated at 101 births per 1000 women aged 15-19 years.
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