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Diana Nherera Herald Reporter
Nurses from the country’s major referral hospitals have threatened to down tools after they failed to receive their bonuses last Friday as promised by the Government.
Nurses from Harare Central Hospital, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Chitungwiza Central Hospital said they would go on strike if there was no communication on their bonuses by Friday.
They have questioned why Government awarded bonuses to teachers this week, but left out nurses.
They said they all were promised that they would receive their money on January 2.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association provincial chairman Mr Enock Dongo on Tuesday said the Government sent circulars stating that nurses would get their bonuses on the said date.
They were surprised to note the health professionals were left out.
“Government sent circulars to all major hospitals saying that nurses would get their bonuses on January 2 but the money was not in their bank accounts on the said date. We did not receive any communication from the Health Services Board’s Treasury and zina feels that Government should have told us the reasons for the failure to award nurses their bonuses,” said Mr Dongo.
He said Government should take the welfare of nurses seriously as they amounted to 75 percent of the country’s health workers.
“It seems that Government is looking down on nurses although they amount to 75 percent of health workers and yet they are not getting the deserved recognition.
“Government should have communicated to us on time. Now we are faced with a situation where nurses cannot pay their children’s school fees and rentals because they thought they would receive their bonuses as promised,” said Mr Dongo.
He said Government had also promised a salary increment for nurses, an increase on their night allowances and also bring back their medical allowances that had been scrapped.
Nurses earn a basic salary of $290 per month and get a night allowance of $3,35 per seven days.
“There are no negotiations that are taking place regarding nurses’ salaries and allowances as promised.
“It is a great challenge as the Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa had also promised in July last year to discuss with other stakeholders the anomalies to allowances of midwives.”
Dr Parirenyatwa yesterday said his ministry hoped that what was indicated by the Health Services Board’s Treasury would be honoured.
“The Health Services Board, the Salary Services Bureau and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development are the ones who deal with the issues of nurses’ salaries.
“But as the Ministry of Health and Child Care, we hope what was indicated by the Health Services Board Treasury would be honoured in order to keep the morale of our staff high,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
Although the health sector is considered an essential service, health professionals have gone on several strikes that have seriously compromised the country’s health delivery system.
Online Reporter