ZIMBABWE’S senior doctors have joined junior doctors in declaring incapacitation citing their remuneration is not at par with regional standards.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
With a month passing by since junior doctors’ industrial action, the senior doctors’ throwing weight behind their juniors will leave the state owned hospital void of any doctor.
The Senior Hospital Doctors Association (SHDA) said, “In terms of section 65(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, we have a right to fair and safe labour practices and standards and to be paid a fair and reasonable wage. Our conditions of service are appalling and disgraceful to say the least. Our remuneration is not in line with comparative remuneration trends regionally.
South African senior hospital doctors are paid an average of .ZAR80 000 — ZAR 120 000 per month. In our situation senior medical doctors are paid a basic salary of less than RTGS$500.00 while Consultants receive a basic salary of RTGS$ 1010, 00.
“This is a pittance which does not take into account the rising cost of living which sees the entire basic salary of a senior medical doctor as inadequate to fuel up a small vehicle to get the same doctor to and from work.
As it stands, our remuneration is neither commensurate with our skills and services and also out of touch with our lived realities in terms of the costs of basic goods and services.
“We are thus incapacitated from continuing to come to work as our remuneration has been eroded by the ever-rising cost of living.”
SHDA also noted how the lack of a full component of medical personnel without necessary tools of trade such as essential and critical drugs, machinery and other essentials has incapacitated them.
