‘Doctors’ salaries shameful’

 

The doctors called for an urgent review of their salaries as well as regulations governing their practice.

Speaking during the joint congress of the College of Primary Care Physicians of Zimbabwe (CPCPZ) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe (PSZ) in Bulawayo, medical practitioners said they were operating in a hostile environment which made them fail to deliver.

They said the regulations governing medical practice in the country were too “restrictive” and blamed poor remuneration for the low morale among health practitioners.

 

The more than 300 delegates castigated the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ) and its affiliate organisations for demanding too much from them.

“There is a need to modify the way in which MDPCZ does its business. They should reduce their exorbitant fees and change their policeman or black watchers-like behaviour. As practitioners, we are being harassed by the council,” said Dr Taurai Gunguwo, of Bulawayo, in his presentation about challenges facing doctors.

“Sometimes MDPCZ officials just storm into your office without notice. We need to stop that because they are not police officers. There is also a need to decentralise MDPCZ activities so that we can have hearings done here than going to Harare.

“Why do we have to practice under threats? The audit procedures should not be intimidatory but educative. Our working environment is hostile and this is stressing us. We are also stressed by the accreditation procedures and the need for continuing education. After doing all this come month end you are only given a cheque of $600.”

PCZ president Mrs Sakhile Dube-Mwedzi said there was a need to amalgamate the regulatory framework for medical practitioners in order to promote the growth of the sector.

“We view medical practice as an over regulated sector. We are required to register as individuals, register our premises with local authorities, and register with MDPCZ, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe and other associations. In all these stages we will be required to pay exorbitant fees,” said Mrs Dube-Mwedzi.

“This is one of the major issues that needs to be addressed. Regulation in itself is good but it must not be prohibitive. We are calling for the amalgamation of these regulatory bodies to ease the burden on our part.”

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo who was the guest of honour bemoaned the shortage of specialist doctors in the city.

“Medical practitioners in Bulawayo continue to face numerous challenges and we note that one of them is the very low number of skilled specialists compared to other parts of the country,” said Clr Moyo.

“It is my hope therefore, that the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) Medical School will be able to channel specialised skills to assist the city of Bulawayo.”

CPCPZ president Dr Godfrey Mungwadzi also said medical practi-tioners were facing many challenges.

He highlighted the need to improve remuneration of health practitioners and provision of adequate equipment and relaxation of registration procedures.

“This conference has raised a lot of topical issues that we need to address together in order to revive our institutions. Although there is a need to improve some of the regulatory factors we appreciate its role in weeding out bogus practitioners as a way of protecting the public,” said Dr Mungwadzi.

Zimbabwe Medical Association (Zima) president Dr Enock Tatira urged medical practitioners to unite and engage the authorities about issues that affect their fraternity. “As Zima, we are concerned about the issues that are stressing doctors. There is double levying of practitioners by the regulatory bodies. They are taking away the arm and the leg from us. We are engaging the regulatory bodies to look into these issues and come up with a common approach,” said Dr Tatira.

The chairperson of the local organising committee, Dr Barbatus Msimanga, said the conference was an important platform for medical practitioners in the country to review and discuss pertinent issues that affect their operations, interact and share knowledge on new developments in medical practice.

Meanwhile, the practitioners expressed concern over professional bullying by their senior colleagues and specialist doctors in the country’s hospitals and clinics.

They also bemoaned the shortage of specialist doctors, which they said was responsible for long queues in the country’s health centres.

“It is very painful to watch patients being denied treatment just because they have no money. This is because of strict instructions on collection of medical fees,” said another doctor who declined to be named. There is also the issue of delayed payments by medical aid societies who also have a very bad attitude towards doctors as we often have to follow them over debts.”

This year’s conference runs under the theme “Getting it off your chest” and it ends on Sunday.