Maravi

Stop these deaths

Stop these deaths
Written by Editor

The continued and spreading strike by almost all categories of public health workers in the country is extremely worrying. This strike is causing many deaths and a lot of untold suffering among our people. Every day we receive frightening, distressing pictures from clinics and hospitals around the country showing the deep suffering that this strike is causing among our people. This is certainly not a pleasant strike both for those taking part in it and those it affects.

Every time health workers go on strike, a battle is waged not only between strikers and those who manage our hospitals, those who are in charge of public resources, but also between the right to strike and the ethics of not doing so. The latter battle appears to be important, for it raises some controversial issues.

It cannot be denied that a strike is an extreme action. We say this because a strike threatens the livelihood of many strikers if it fails or is crushed. Debates at the time of a strike are often motivated by strikers’ immediate need for survival and the government’s resolve to crush the strike. The former normally uses the language of rights while the latter of morality. Abstract morality usually projects strikers as killers of unattended to patients, and supports the real killers.

This extreme language has prevented a rational appraisal of the problems of health workers and their method of struggle. To say that such strikes are always immoral is unacceptable. On the other hand, the statement that strikers need not be concerned with patients who are suffering due to the strike is difficult to accept as good ethics as well as good trade union strategy.

In sum, one must strive to exercise one’s rights while being sensitive to the ethical issues involved in the methods of struggle. Such sensitivity will help health workers be resolute in providing alternative care to patients during the strike. It will also help them further radicalise their struggle by moving from a strike – no patient care – to hospital occupancy – continued patient care under self-management. While the latter is difficult to achieve, unless groups consider their actions examining both the ethics and the needs of the struggle, they will never transcend their present constraints and achieve their larger goals.

Trying to understand this strike yesterday, we invited some nurses and doctors who are on strike to look at the distressing pictures we had from Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital. We thought these friends of ours would be shocked and moved by these pictures that were distressing us. They were neither shocked nor moved in any way by these pictures. T

heir response was that this was nothing compared to the distressing situations they have to bear witness to every day. They maintained that if they were going to be shocked and moved in the way we have been shocked and moved, they wouldn’t be on strike because they would have left the health service a long time ago.

They said the situations under which they have to work every day were worse than the pictures we are showing them. They maintained that with or without their services under the current order, people will continue to die and suffer in the most undignified ways because the conditions in our hospitals are bad. They said they have tried the best they could to fight for the plight of their patients totally neglecting themselves and their own personal interests. And the time has come for them to fight for both their patients and themselves. And if we are being shocked and moved by these pictures, then their strike action may yield something positive for their patients and consequently themselves.

Clearly, this is a very serious strike about a very serious matter. It is a strike that cannot be trivialised in any way. But listen to the response of the acting Minister of Health:

“These strikes are politically influenced. The striking workers will be the ones to complain if constitutional office holders and senior government officials received an upward adjustment to their allowances and salaries.

It goes without saying that if you get 15 per cent, you can’t complain when senior government officials receive 15 per cent, because what is the basis for your complaint? If they get 10 per cent, constitutional office holders get 10 per cent. Also to insinuate that the person who is entitled to gratuity should not receive it, does not hold because a gratuity is an entitlement, they think they must get more money than the people supervising them.

Civil servants are being influenced by politicians to strike so that they can destabilise government functions. They should realise that a significant portion of the budget is sponsored by donors and salary increments will not be justified because of the current global economic crisis. First of all, we would want to talk to them that they are punishing innocent people. They are being incited politically, which is unfortunate.

There is an economic downturn, I don’t think there is appreciation that what is happening elsewhere affects us. Others are retrenching while others want salary increments. Do you think donors will be happy that there is a downturn and their people are losing jobs while here people are protesting? Those who are striking should realise that there are more capable and qualified people who are entitled to employment but are roaming the streets.”

This is the reaction of the Zambian government to the ongoing strike by nurses that has now been joined by doctors. These were the words of Mike Mulongoti, the acting Minister of Health, issued on behalf of Rupiah Banda’s government.

Mulongoti is reminding the health workers that they are punishing innocent people. Probably he is right because those running government are not dependent on the health services provided by these striking nurses and doctors. They have personal doctors and nurses. They also have facilities in South Africa where they can go even for common colds and minor knee operations. So they are in charge of health services that they themselves do not use, do not need. Or when they need them, they are not the common services provided for every citizen at these hospitals but special services tailored for them.

Briefing the press yesterday, Resident Doctors Association of Zambia president Dr Crispin Moyo said their withdrawal of labour comes in the wake of numerous problems being experienced by doctors:

“It is with deep regret that we inform the public that resident doctors have withdrawn their labour. Our action has been prompted by the current accommodation crisis being experienced by our members including intern doctors and postgraduate doctors, some of whom face eviction from their homes due to the failure on part of government to settle its obligations to the landlords. As per requirement, this class of medical doctors occupies training positions and their accommodation is the responsibility of government…Government continues to pay lip service to our plight.

It must be realised that it is impossible to provide an excellent service when you have a demotivated workforce working in poorly maintained infrastructure with largely inadequate non-operational equipment. Doctors are aware that the withdrawal of labour is not without extreme distress to the public and to the members. We shall therefore be returning to work as soon as this problem is resolved.”

And Resident Doctors Association Ndola branch president Dr Bright Nsokolo yesterday said the work stoppage has been caused by the unconducive working environment:

“The resident doctors at Ndola Central Hospital and Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital regret to inform the public that with immediate effect, we have gone on a work stoppage not because of our current bad conditions of service but because of the unconducive work environment where instead of saving lives, we are actually killing. This is because we are sending away more patients than we are admitting to go and die at home. As doctors, it makes our hearts bleed to send patients home who should otherwise be admitted all because there is no space to keep them and nurses to look after them.”

Dr Nsokolo appealed to the public not to think that doctors had neglected the sick:

“It is important also to mention that doctors have been working for over three weeks to try and serve the public in the absence of nurses and other health workers who are striking but now the situation has become unbearable. We had earlier appealed to the government to resolve the standoff with the striking workers within at least two days before we could go on a work stoppage. We hope the standoff will be resolved as soon as possible so that we can go back for work and serve our people. Doctors are ready to go for work as soon as the striking workers return.”

This is clearly a difficult situation which needs to be treated with seriousness. But we are not seeing that seriousness from the government. The response given by Mulongoti cannot be said to be a serious response to this serious problem that is taking the lives of some of our people. People have died, people are dying as a result of this strike. But there is no sense of urgency on the part of the government to try and address, and put an end to, this strike. There is need for the government to deal with the causes of this dissension, this strike. We therefore urge civic leaders, religious leaders and others with a voice that can be listened to by those in government and the striking health workers to step in and stop this strike that is claiming so many lives. It is irresponsible for those who can influence things to stand aside and watch while so many people are dying.

Labels: BRIGHT NSOKOLO, CRISPIN MOYO, HEALTHCARE, MIKE MULONGOTI, STRIKE, UTH

posted by MrK @ 7:53 PM