Maravi

Rupiah is highly irresponsible – HH

Rupiah is highly irresponsible – HH
Written by Staff Reporters
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 8:58:17 PM

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said it was highly irresponsible of President Rupiah Banda to be gallivanting around amidst serious strikes by nurses and teachers countrywide. And striking health workers in Lusaka have vowed not to return to work until the government meets their demands for improved conditions of service.

In an interview, Hichilema said it was high time President Banda realised that domestic matters take precedence over other matters.

"Rupiah Banda never came into office to serve the people of Zambia. He came into office to revive his flamboyant life. He came to revive his extended and immediate family's flamboyant life. Domestic matters take precedence, that's when you are called a responsible person," Hichilema said.

"He is busy gallivanting around when there are serious strikes by nurses and teachers. The mother can't go partying leaving the house without food. Those nurses and teachers are striking because they need food. I have never seen an irresponsible person as this one. You can see that he enjoys life this man."

Hichilema said stealing was catching up with the MMD political leadership.

"The nurses and teachers have to realise that this is what we have been telling them. The money is there but it's just lack of priorities," Hichilema said.

"We have given money to the corrupt MMD government. It is in the hands of corrupt people." He said if the MMD were looking after the nurses and teachers, the strikes would not have taken place.

"If Rupiah Banda and his government had not focused on paying themselves hefty salaries, the nurses and teachers would have understood. We urge the government to deal with strikes immediately. Even the scam at the Ministry of Health is an indication that if there was a better government this could not have happened," Hichilema said.

"But we are sending a message that we are going to put up a responsible government, that is, UPND working with PF. We will not be spending money extravagantly. Just look at the President's travel schedule. That's why I call him ‘Mr Holiday is forever’. We demand that MMD stops the extravagance."

He said the striking workers should realise that their hope lies in the UPND/PF pact.

"I’m calling upon the workers that is the nurses and teachers to realise that the solution lies in the UPND/PF pact. Our objectives are set on delivering a better economy to ensure that the nurses and teachers are paid better," Hichilema said.

"They know that they are going in 2011, that's why they want to rubbish the UPND/PF pact. The MMD is now panicking, running around like rats. In six months time they will know that this pact is serious. They will know that we as UPND and PF are bringing economic liberation."

And a check at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) found the nurses outside displaying placards demanding money with one of the placards reading "Give us money not masese."

A representative for the health workers said they would continue with their strike until the government responds to their needs.

"There are a lot of things happening in the country and they can't say that they don't have money with the misappropriation going on. Look at the figures from the Auditor General's office on the misappropriation going on, so it's not fair to say that there is no money," the representative who sought anonymity said.

The representative said if there was no money in the country, the members of parliament should not get their midterm gratuity. Another nurse said health workers had a heart for patients but the government did not have a heart for them.

"We do not like seeing people dying but we also have to live, some of the people suffering are our relatives. We get K200,000 housing allowance and I rent a house for K1.5 million; where am I supposed to get the other money? Our uniform allowance is K35,000 and the uniform is K90,000. Then for night duty, we get K40,000 per month after working for seven nights and I have to work twice a month," she complained

"Our salaries are very low K1.4 million after taxes. This is the change for the government after they get their food basket. The overtimes allowance is K35,000 and we work over time most of the time because we can't leave patients grasping. We are also demanding for risk allowances because our work is very risky because we are in direct contact with patients."

A check in the wards found mostly student nurses and some sisters-in-charge working. At Mandevu Health Centre, the patients were not being attended to while at Matero Reference Health Centre the treatment of patients was slow. And operations in public clinics and hospitals on the Copperbelt are still crippled following a health workers strike that has entered week two.

A check yesterday on the clinics and hospitals in Kitwe and Luanshya found the clinics either closed with some strained owing to the strike.

In Kitwe at Mindolo Clinic 1 people were being turned away as the nurses were not attending to patients while the situation at Kitwe Central Hospital also remained unchanged with senior health personnel attending to patients who were ranked to be critically ill.

Those whose condition was adjudged not to be critical were being discharged from Kitwe Central on grounds that the few medical personnel that were being helped by student nurses could not manage to attend to them.

On Sunday, Kwacha, Buchi, Kawama, Bulangililo and Chimwemwe clinics were virtually non-operational resulting from the health workers strike.

In Luanshya, the grill doors at Chibolya Clinic were found locked while Mikomfwa Health Centre was quiet as though no life existed.

Health workers at Section 9 Clinic were also on strike while Mikomfwa Clinic was only attending to maternity cases.

Operations at Roan Antelope General Hospital were also generally slow with a few medical personnel.

And in Eastern Province, health workers in two districts have joined the countrywide strike to press for improved conditions of service.

Health Workers Union of Zambia Eastern Province chairperson Otton Kaluba said health workers in Petauke and Nyimba resolved to go on strike last week while health workers in Chipata and Lundazi were contemplating to go on strike.

"I was in Nyimba last week and I was told that they had a meeting where they resolved to go on strike because of these negotiations that are taking too long. I rang Petauke and I was told that Petauke also had gone on strike. So on Friday in the evening I went to Petauke and they confirmed that truly they were on strike I was also told that in Lundazi they were also contemplating going on strike but they are working," Kaluba said.

He said he was yet to meet the union leaders at Chipata General Hospital over the matter.

Kaluba said the negotiations for improved conditions of service were supposed to be concluded by now.

And Caritas Zambia expressed concern on the continued silence by the government over the strikes that have rocked the country.

Caritas Zambia stated that the strikes by the health workers and teachers had not been given the due attention they deserved despite them having a very serious impact on majority of Zambians.

"With funds currently tight in the MoH, the strike has further worsened the situation and the poor who cannot afford private medical care and education are the ones feeling the brunt of this strike. Yet, listening to government officials in the media one would think there is no problem as they are not talking about this problem and instead concentrating on politics," they stated.

Caritas Zambia asked the government what remedies it had put in place to ensure that the plight of the worker was addressed.

"How are the negotiations going with the union leaders? The public needs to know the progress because they are the ones who are being affected by these strikes. While health workers, teachers and civil servants are suffering and barely meeting the cost of living, those that have been elected in power are eagerly waiting to receive their midterm gratuity of K480 million and the question that one would ask is what have they done to deserve such remuneration," they stated.

Caritas Zambia stated that the members of parliament should justify why such huge amounts should be given to them when they had failed to deliver. They stated that those who labour for this country under very difficult circumstances were not receiving what was due to them.

Caritas Zambia stated that it was time that those in leadership realised that they could not continue to tap from the meagre national resources minus working.

"We need to set our priorities right in this country, failure to which meaningful development will remain a farfetched dream. Currently the public and even the donor community have lost confidence in this government and to restore this much needed confidence, government needs to wake up from slumber and begin to provide solutions to the many problems that the country is facing," it stated "Where are the ministers of health and education as all this is happening? Are they seeing how people in clinics, hospitals are dying due to lack of treatment? Where is the passion for the people of Zambia? Is it so hard for them to explain to the nation exactly what is happening rather than leaving it to the media and the workers themselves? One would wonder with all that has been happening this year as to who is leading the country?"

Caritas Zambia stated that it seemed that the government was failing to realise that education and health were the backbone of any development and it was time that Zambians stopped tolerating this lazier faire attitude in government.

"And this is why they seem to think that civil society is just being critical. Naturally people tend to be critical if one fails to perform but it is up to the person being criticised to change. The President has continued to dodge serious questions that have been raised by the public-those who put him in the situation and we as Caritas Zambia cannot allow this situation to continue. Who does he think will benefit from the customs union which he was eager to attend if people are dying and not receiving education?" Caritas Zambia asked "We therefore demand that the President be interviewed on both radio and TV on the current state of the nation and tell us the people what strategies his government has put in place. Government needs to realise that they have an important duty to perform and therefore should not engage in petty politicking when they are serious issues to be addressed. Let him take a leaf from his comrade Jacob Zuma who was interviewed hardly a month after assuming office. He did this because he knew that people needed to know what plans his government had and also the strategies that have been put in place to find solutions. Is this so much to ask from our own President?"

Caritas Zambia stated that as a church which interacted with people at grassroots, they would not stop criticising and advising the government until it listens and begins to address the concerns of the people who were suffering.

Health workers are demanding a K1.5 million across the board salary increment and a minimum of K800,000 as housing allowance among other improvements in their conditions of service.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, HEALTHCARE, RUPIAH BANDA, STRIKE

posted by MrK @ 8:02 PM