Maravi

Nurses’ strike worsens situation at hospitals

Nurses’ strike worsens situation at hospitals
Written by Staff Reporters
Monday, June 08, 2009 2:41:57 PM

THE situation at several hospitals around the country has worsened as nurses and other health workers continue with their strike action, pressing the government for improved conditions of service. A check at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) yesterday revealed that Ward E 21 had been closed and patients moved to Ward E 11 due to a shortage of staff.

And Zambia National Union of Health and Allied Workers (ZNUHAW) UTH branch chairman Chrispin Mweemba has condemned President Rupiah Banda's silence over the strike action by health workers.

A further check at UTH showed that most wards were deserted with only senior doctors and student nurses attending to a few patients.

At the casualty wing, a few medical personnel were found attending to emergency cases only while others were being turned away.

Hospital staff spoken to said some patients had been discharged while only those seriously ill were left admitted to the institution.

At the BID [Brought In Dead] section, there was only one mortuary attendant found working.

The attendant complained that he was the only one working and had to go round the whole hospital to collect bodies from the wards and take them to the mortuary.

Some relatives found at the BID section complained that there was no one to certify the dead and that they had to wait for more than four hours before a senior doctor came to do so.

Nurses in the labour ward were equally not working and pregnant women were being attended to by senior personnel and students.

The nurses are demanding K1.5 million salary increments across the board to cover their housing, uniform, risk, night allowances among other conditions of service.

In Kitwe, residents seeking medical attention were still turning back at the doorsteps of many public clinics owing to the strike by health workers in the city.

A check at the clinics yesterday found patients being greeted by closed doors and in some cases a few staff who were choosing what kind of ailments to attend to.

Kawama and Kwacha Clinics were closed while Chimwemwe clinic was only attending to maternity cases.

At Bulangililo Clinic, nurses were found chatting while the health staff, apart from a few senior ones, was not working at Buchi Main Clinic.

At Kitwe Central Hospital, there was only a skeleton staff comprising senior nurses.

Last week, Kitwe Central Hospital closed some of its wards owing to the pressure that the few senior health workers had come under following the strike that has crippled the operations of public health institutions.

Health workers in many public health institutions on the Copperbelt have been on strike for two weeks demanding improved conditions of service.

And in an interview yesterday after addressing nurses who were found seated on the lawn at University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Mweemba said it was unfortunate that President Banda had kept quiet over such a serious matter and instead chose to go and watch a soccer match on the Copperbelt.

He said the strike action by health workers was not being addressed with the seriousness it deserved.

“Enough is enough. This matter is serious but unfortunately, it is not being dealt with the seriousness it deserves,” Mweemba complained. “You cannot have a situation where the President leaves to go and watch football when people are dying. He has not said anything on this strike, and today [yesterday] he is going to Zimbabwe for that heads of state summit. He is enjoying. We go to the wards and see how people are dying but it’s unfortunate that the leaders are not taking the issue seriously.”

Mweemba said the union has had several meetings with UTH management and officials from the Ministry of Health but nothing seemed to be working.

He said it was therefore becoming difficult for the union leaders to urge the nurses to resume work when the other parties involved in the negotiations did not seem concerned.

And speaking when he addressed workers at UTH, Mweemba urged the members to march to the ministry's headquarters today.

“We are not making an impact here because we just come and sit on this lawn then disperse. So, to be heard, let us disperse and then tomorrow [today] we can meet and march to the headquarters so the minister can address us and tell us the way forward,” said Mweemba.

And Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda has urged the government to channel funds meant for midterm gratuities for members of parliament (MPs) to address the plight of teachers and health workers.

Kabanda stated that MPs' midterm gratuity was not a priority and that it would not create any constitutional crisis if not paid.

Meanwhile, Patriotic Front (PF) chairperson for Health Jean Kapata has said nurses and teachers were essential workers in the country whose plight should be addressed with the seriousness it deserved.

Kapata, who is also Mandevu MP, yesterday strongly condemned the government for not taking a serious step towards the strike.

“How can the President go to watch football when people are dying in hospitals?” she asked. “How can he go when people are dying? Look at the dead bodies at UTH and other health facilities affected. If the government is serious, then it must divert the US $53 million for mobile hospitals to meet the workers plight. They are important people who save lives. Look at the picture in today's [yesterday] Post where a father is looking at his dead child. Things are bad and the President can afford to go and watch football.”

She said the PF was therefore demanding the arrest of former permanent secretary in the ministry of health Dr Simon Miti who had been implicated in the K27billion scam at the ministry.

“The law is being selective in these investigations. Why are they not arresting Miti? K27 billion is a lot of money,” said Kapata. “Right now as we are talking, Chipata clinic has no food, no fuel for the ambulances and no cleaning agents. “

And commenting on yesterday's front page picture in The Post in which a father was checking on his dead child at Kitwe Central Hospital following the on-going strike by nurses, UPND national youth chairman Joe Kalusa advised the government to sell hearses and pay nurses their dues.

“Tetamashimba and RB should swallow their pride and sell those manda-manda's [hearses] so that they pay the nurses what they are demanding,” said Kalusa. “When you look at the hearses and the cost attached to them, it is a lot of money. They can be re-sold to countries or people who need them because for us what we need are ambulances.”

And in Mazabuka, the strike action has paralysed the provision of health services at Mazabuka District Hospital and the 42 health centres dotted around the district.

And chief Mwanachingwala has called on the government to seriously address concerns that had led to public service workers going on strike before many lives are lost.

Chief Mwanachingwala said the government should not wait until lives were lost but act swiftly and protect residents especially those from poor families who could not afford medical services being provided by private hospitals.

But health authorities in Siavonga yesterday confirmed that no health worker in the district had gone on strike.

Acting Siavonga District director of Health Thierry Bare said all health workers in various health centres were working normally.

Dr Bare said the move by health workers in Siavonga not to go on strike followed government assurances that their demands for improved conditions of service would be addressed through proper dialogue.

And a check at Siavonga District Hospital found nurses and other health personnel working normally and attending to patients in various wards.

Labels: HEALTHCARE, NURSES, STRIKE

posted by MrK @ 1:46 PM