Doctors to issue comprehensive statement over strike

Doctors to issue comprehensive statement over strike
By Kombe Chimpinde
Sun 03 Oct. 2010, 13:40 CAT

The Residents Doctors Association (RDAZ) have said that they will issue a compressive statement regarding the countrywide strike action staged by the medics which entered its seventh day.

Acting RDAZ president Amos Ngongolo confirmed this development to Post online today. The decision to address the nation comes after a meeting held between the Association’s representatives and government on Wednesday last week.

“The resident Doctors Association will tomorrow issue a comprehensive statement on the strike to clarify several issues regarding the strike so we will not comment on Dr Kanganja's request to us to address the nation what what was discussed in the meeting we had,” Ngongo said yesterday.

Earlier in an interview Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Joshua Kanganja challenged the acting resident doctors president Ngongolo to tell the nation why the doctors are not implementing what was agreed upon in the meeting it had with government.

“We are not negotiating any more. You should call and ask Mr Ngongolo about what we discussed in the meeting on Monday. He is the representative of the Resident Doctors Association. He must be able to tell the nation what we had agreed on Monday and why the doctors have not implemented what was discussed,” Kanganja said.

When asked to give what government's position was in the meeting that took place at his office between government and the resident doctors, Kanganja said it was for the resident doctors to tell the nation what was discussed in the meeting.

“All I can say is that we had meaningful discussion with the representatives of the resident Doctors so you ask Ngongolo what we discussed and why that has been a change of things,” he said.

On Monday RDAZ acting president, Amon Ngongolo said at a Press briefing that his members had unanimously resolved to withdraw labour with immediate effect.