Dismissals will worsen health situation - TALC
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Mon 09 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign says the decision by the government to fire all nurses that took part in the strike will only exacerbate the already worsened situation, especially at UTH.
And Mwanza says the government will do well to learn from what transpired in the late Fredrick Chiluba's administration where health personnel were fired and it was the ordinary members of the public who suffered in return.
TALC country director Felix Mwanza said one nurse would now be required to attend to about 50 patients with some even sleeping on the floor.
Mwanza expressed shock that the government and management at UTH, Mwanawasa and Livingstone Hospitals decided to go ahead and fire nurses and midwives following what government is calling an 'illegal' strike that they participated in.
"While as an organisation are alive to the fact that during the sitting in period by the nurses, members of the general public were treated to untold miseries that may even have resulted in loss of lives of our people, firing this important cadre of health personnel is not a solution," he said.
He said Zambia cannot run away from the fact that her hospitals and clinics had an acute shortage of health personnel who are mainly nurses and midwives.
Mwanza said if the government does not rescind its decision on the fired nurses and unconditionally reinstate them, then the government was also telling Zambians that they should as well forget about achieving millennium development goals 4, 5 and 6.
"Further, significant steps recorded in reducing maternal and child mortality will come under heavy scrutiny as the government's move is certainly a minus on the gains made this far," he said.
He reminded both the government and management at these institutions, that it was failure and lack of foresight that has resulted into this situation.
"Therefore, like in any other human equation, both sides must be magnanimous enough to take the problem and inflicting punishment on one side is not only symptomatic of a kneejerk reaction at the eleventh hour but one that does not inspire hope," he said.
Mwanza said their view as an organisation, whose membership had greatly benefited from the services of essential health workers, is that the government rescinds its decision and unconditionally reinstate the fired nurses.
He said Zambia as a country was already under a lot of stress and adding on other issues that amount to job losses would only worsen the already despicable situation in our health institutions.
"We are however, hopeful that being a listening and pro-poor government, they will reverse this decision," said Mwanza.
Labels: FELIX MWANZA, HEALTHCAE, NURSES, TALC
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Govt is looking into nurses' plight - Sata
By Allan Mulenga
Tue 03 Dec. 2013, 14:01 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata says he is happy that the nurses have called off their strike, adding that the government is looking into their plight.
President Sata yesterday wondered why MMD president Nevers Mumba was talking about the nurses' strike when he had failed to preside over his party.
"Go and ask him why he is commenting on nurses' strike when these people have gone back to work. He has failed to take care of his hair, how can he keep his people?" he said.
President Sata said it was good that the nurses had heeded his call to go back to work, so that negotiations with the government could commence.
"I asked them to go back to work and they have done that. The government is looking into their plight," said President Sata.
On Sunday, Mumba advised President Sata against using "a strong hand" in dealing with the nurses who were striking.
Mumba disclosed that he had written President Sata on the issue surrounding nurses' strike action.
"I have done a letter in which I have asked the President to be able to consider dialogue to the level where our public sector workers could feel confident that government is committed to resolving their issues. That statement in Mansa was unfortunate," he said.
"We will not take it kindly if the government attempts to fire these public workers that are aggrieved in the same manner that the government did not take kindly to KCM trying to offload those thousands of workers. It will be unfortunate for government to take that route, because there is room for negotiation. They are negotiating for the things promised to them. I think government should listen," said Mumba.
President Sata on Saturday warned nurses to resume work before the government could strike.
Labels: HEALTHCARE, MICHAEL SATA, NURSES
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Nurses' dismissal final - Shamenda
By Kombe Chimpinde-Mataka
Fri 06 Dec. 2013, 14:01 CAT
LABOUR minister Fackson Shamenda says the UPND is inciting dismissed nurses to take action against the government.
But UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma says the party is concerned with the manner in which the government is running the health sector. And Shamenda says ZCTU secretary general Roy Mwaba risks being arrested if he continues to incite nurses.
Reacting to the UPND's decision to mount a legal battle in defence of dismissed striking workers countrywide, Shamenda described as inhuman the opposition party's lack of regard for what patients went through when nurses were on an illegal strike.
Shamenda said the decision to dismiss the nurses was final and the government would not reverse it.
"This confirms the suspicions that people had that the strike could have been politically motivated because in the first instance, the people who should be sympathisers of the patients that were in hospital, they were going there and encouraging the nurses to continue being on strike in October when they staged the first strike action and saying 'they have got a good case' and wishing them well. That is tantamount to inciting them," Shamenda said.
He said that UPND must understand that the government had grounds on which nurses were fired, which were clearly backed b the law.
"If anything, once those nurses get a court injunction, chances of even the employer re-employing them may stop. The way the law is at the moment is such that you can't force an employer to reinstate anyone if they dismiss them, each side has got a right to terminate the contract. So they are jeopardising the chances of the nurses," he warned.
"We fired nurses because they did not follow the normal channels because they broke the law. Comparing the KCM or Shoprite case to this particular one is like comparing oranges to sausages. Nurses are essential workers, you can't trivialise these issues. People must understand the gravity of the action which was taken by the nurses."
Shamenda said that by law, it was an offence for anyone classified as an essential worker to go on strike even for a minute.
He said the government had in fact used its discretion to tolerate the strike action for as long as 10 days.
"It's like someone who is driving, and you find there is accident and you refuse to do anything; it is criminal," Shamenda said.
"Last year, the nurses got the highest adjustments of salary increment. It is unprecedented in the history of the country. We never had such an adjustment and we said we would work with unions to ensure the adjustments are implemented."
And Shamenda said he took great exception to remarks by ZCTU Mwaba that the action taken by the government would culminate into a crisis.
"I take serious exception to the statement by ZCTU and the Zambia Medical Association particularly. ZCTU and the Medical Association should have been the first ones to condemn the strike action by nurses," he said.
"I am disappointed with Roy Mwaba, who I am hoping was misquoted, because I think he is politicking. That is a very serious statement. In normal circumstances, he needs to be arrested because what he is saying can lead to the country becoming ungovernable. Where was he when the nurses went on strike in October when politicians were inciting them? 10 days down the line, when the nurses were on strike, ZCTU did not say anything."
"It is a very irresponsible statement by a seasoned trade unionist. He is supposed to condemn the action by nurses instead of insulting government, and no one is going to challenge government. He thinks he can direct government to reinstate nurses at a press conference? That is an insult! Majority of workers in Zambia, if not all, are condemning the strike action by nurses. He should not start daring government."
And Dr Katele Kalumba says the government must delink the health profession from labour unions.
Dr Kalumba says health workers should not use the mechanism that all other category of workers are currently using because of the sensitivity of their work.
"Surely, there must be a different mechanism that can be used in dealing with or having discussions relating to the conditions of service of health workers. I am making a public policy issue here, that can we create a track, away from the public service unionism that is used for negotiating conditions of service for health workers," he said.
"Can we use something similar to what we use when we are dealing with the security and defence force. I hope responsible and rational human beings can see this point and take it up."
Dr Kalumba described the strike action by nurses and the sacking of nurses as sad.
"It's sad news to hear what has happened. It's also outrageously sad that responsible unions can allow a situation to deteriorate to a level where nurses go on a strike and are fired, a situation that is endangering people's lives because they (unions) control health workers. Zambians cannot afford," he said.
"I hope there were no political baggages attached to the failure by the unions to be a lot more socially responsible to the limitation of the government negotiating position on this matter. I hope there is no such thing. If there is, it must be gotten rid of. It's an extraneous matter."
He said the welfare of the patients should come first, stressing that the firing of nurses that had gone on strike, at the expense of the well-being of patients in hospitals, was wrong.
"The primary interest of professionals such as nurses, just as that of government, should be the welfare of their clients," Dr Kalumba said.
"In this case, the patient, that is why there is an oath particularly for this category, doctors or nurses, which they take upon graduating to the professional category. This means against all odds, in the worst of circumstances, they would consider first and foremost, not themselves, not the politician, not the bureaucracy, not even the employer but the interest of the patient that they have sworn to serve," Dr Katele said.
"Now that is nothing to say about various grievances that health workers across the country do face. I live in a rural area; I understand the challenges that they have."
Labels: CHARLES KAKOMA, FACKSON SHAMENDA, HEALTHCARE, NURSES
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Sata warns nurses
By Kombe Chimpinde-Mataka and Godfrey Chikumbi in Mansa
Sun 01 Dec. 2013, 14:01 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata has warned nurses to resume work before the government strikes. And President Sata says that it is not possible for the government to introduce free education because it is a cost. Meanwhile, PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba says the party should maintain President Sata for the success of the party.
Speaking when he featured on Mansa's Radio Yangeni where he went to thank the people for voting for Dr Chitalu Chilufya in the recent Mansa Central parliamentary by-election, President Sata said nurses should not have gone on strike without declaring a dispute.
"Let me tell you something; if you your daughter tells you that let me nyela beat you, you just laugh. Nurses are not governing, us we are running that government. We have a minister who is responsible for running that government. We want to follow the law. Let us follow the law, let us follow channels. But if you want to make shortcuts, we as government we have everything at our disposal: we have the police, the courts, so if we want to make shortcuts we can easily make shortcuts and enjoy the shortcuts; it's not blackmail. We have a garden boy, you have a house girl, do they tell you what to do? When we as government strike, we strike one way, not like them," President Sata said.
"If you ask labour minister Mr Shamenda, nurses did not declare a dispute for them to go on strike but we understand they have children. Those nurses who are strking, they are human beings, they have relatives in hospitals and some of their relatives are dying with them going on strike; probably they would have helped someone who is dying. But I don't want to use this channel to tell you what government is thinking, I will leave it to the MPs to deal with them."
President Sata also said defects in the new constitution could be corrected by way of amendments.
"If there are defectives, we don't need a new constitution, we can amend this constitution. If you have a chapter that you want, you can insert in the bills of what you want. We appointed a committee to look at the constitution and when they bring that document, we are not in a hurry. If there was a vacuum, we would have been in a hurry," President Sata said.
"How do you bring in a referendum? We have only had one referendum during Mwanakatwe, how do you come and want to bring in a referendum in between? Secondly, the procedure is that me, I'm hands-off. When the committee (technical committee) finishes they will deal with the justice minister who will take it to Cabinet. But what I am saying is if there are defects, we can call for amendments."
President Sata also castigated civil society organisations that were criticising the government over the constitution-making process, saying that they represented themselves and not the views of people.
He also said he desired for Zambians to have free education before he was voted in office but he realised that that would mean overtaxing the same people.
"When we were in the opposition, it was simple to say we are going to have free education but we didn't realise that we are overtaxing you people who are paying tax and you know education has a cost to build a classroom, to bring a desk, we need to pay a teacher," President Sata said.
"Conditions prevailing in the country right now cannot allow us to implement free education because we are going to punish children who are in the same schools."
He said he wanted to have more schools built in all parts of the country but that meant paying teachers.
And President Sata said his party had achieved a lot in 90 days.
"In 90 days, we have achieved a great deal: increased salaries for civil servants including teachers, in 90 days, we have not done it under 180 days," he said.
And President Michael Sata yesterday deferred the ground-breaking ceremony of Luapula University to next year.
And Kabimba said political parties that have been successful in the world have maintained one leader.
Speaking at a thanksgiving rally at Mansa's Kaole Stadium yesterday, Kabimba said the PF should maintain President Sata who was not out of step with anything that has happened in the world.
He said the cause of the poor had always been in President Sata's blood.
"We all know, those of us who have worked with you, that the cause of the poor is your vision. The cause of the poor runs in your blood; it is not something that comes as an after-thought," he said.
Kabimba, who attributed the victory of the PF to discipline among officials in Mansa, said the ruling party would not compromise on the same.
"We won elections in 2011 because there was discipline in the party and I want to urge the party we ought to maintain discipline because that is what will guarantee success," he said.
At the same rally, Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe urged party members to allow President Sata to rule in peace.
Munkombwe said it was too short a time or period for confusion to engulf the party.
Labels: HEALTHCARE, MICHAEL SATA, NURSES, STRIKE
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Patients' care compromised
By The Post
Thu 19 July 2012, 10:50 CAT
It cannot be denied that
thousands of unqualified or unskilled workers are taking the place of qualified nurses and medical assistants in our rural areas. And these unqualified, unskilled health workers are handing out potentially lethal drugs to patients without being supervised by trained medical staff.
Clinics and hospitals in our rural areas, currently grappling with major shortages of qualified nurses and medical assistants, have turned to unqualified general workers to perform tasks which they are not qualified or legally entitled to do.
Patients' care is being compromised. Hospitals are putting patients at risk. Skilled nursing tasks such as handing out drugs, taking blood pressure are increasingly becoming a regular part of the work of general workers at health centres, clinics or hospitals.
We do appreciate the fact that we have a new government in the country, a government that has only been in office for nine months. But something has to be done and done urgently about this very dangerous situation.
It is unacceptable that after 47 years of independence, we have health centres, clinics and hospitals being manned by untrained general workers. What has happened to all these nurses and medical assistants we have been training over the years? Today we even have private nursing schools. Where are the graduates from these training centres going? Who is employing them?
The truth is we have not been recruiting all our trained people to redeploy them in our health centres, clinics and hospitals. We still have many trained nurses who have no jobs. We know that recently, the government published lists of the nurses and other medical staff they were deploying to clinics and hospitals in our districts. This needs to be continued with a high sense of urgency because the situation is desperate.
In saying all these things about untrained workers administering medicine to patients, we are not in any way condemning those people. They don't deserve to be condemned. They actually deserve praise for the hard and stressful work they have to do. There is need to respect the work being done by these dedicated but unqualified general workers who are among the poorest paid workers in government.
There is no future development without healthy citizens. We have to highly value the health, and indeed the life, of every citizen. One cannot claim to uphold the sanctity of life if there is no provision for minimal healthcare for all.
After over 47 years of independence, we still have many of our citizens who have never seen a doctor, who have never been attended to by a doctor. One can even add that there are many of our citizens who have never been seen, or have been attended to, by a registered nurse.
Let's remind ourselves of what Dr Kenneth Kaunda said at the 15th session of the Regional Committee for Africa of the World Health Organisation in Lusaka on September 6, 1965: "I do not think that anyone could deny that the health services of a country hold the key to that country's success or failure, its prosperity or its decline."
We have trained people who need to be deployed. But we are not deploying them at the required rate. With the current shortage of medical staff in the country, we need to deploy and redeploy all those who are trained to take care of the health of our people.
And this calls for a different attitude at all levels. The medical staff we deploy should have a clear understanding of the importance of their work and the duty that they hold to their people. Caring for the sick is a calling from God of a special dignity and importance, not just another job. We say this because healthcare is really an imitation of Jesus who saw healing the sick as central to his ministry of establishing the Kingdom of God.
We may not be able to miraculously cure our sick sisters and brothers around us, but we can share tender hands and also promote the justice of good health policies, medical care and adequate medicines. Life is sacred, a gift from God to be valued from the moment of conception until death. Let's remind ourselves of Christ's work in this domain: "Jesus got out of the boat, and when he saw the large crowd, his heart was filled with pity for them, and he healed their sick" (Mathew 14:14).
Let's make healthcare a health undertaking and let's treat those who care for the sick with respect and honour. "Give doctors the honour they deserve, for the Lord gave them their work to do. Their skill came from the Most High, and kings reward them for it. Their knowledge gives them a position of importance, and powerful people hold them in high regard" (Sirach 38:1-3).
Labels: DOCTORS, HEALTHCARE, NURSES
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COMMENT - Tendai Biti and the MDC continue the neoliberal tradition of defunding healthcare and education.
Biti blasted for freezing health posts
Saturday, 12 May 2012 19:24
Tinashe Farawo in Kadoma
The chairman of Zimbabwe Parliament Against HIV, Mr Blessing Chebundo, has criticised Finance Minister Mr Tendai Biti for freezing the recruitment of nurses, saying the move would negatively affect the health delivery system.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Parliament Against HIV workshop, Mr Chebundo said
many of the aspiring medical practitioners were roaming the streets because of the retrogressive recruitment freeze. Mr Biti could not be reached for comment yesterday.
“I have always questioned the minister on this matter. We are reversing the clock, there are other issues the Government can forgo instead of freezing the recruitment of critical staff,” he said.
“We are not saying our ministers should not drive good cars, we are saying that can wait while we are recruiting critical staff in order to improve health delivery.
“Health for all must be the first priority. We will continue advocating at least 15 percent of the national budget to be allocated to health.”
Government froze staff recruitment citing budgetary constraints. This has resulted in hundreds of trained nurses failing to secure employment. Many health institutions in rural areas are operating with skeletal staff.
Speaking at the workshop, the director of HIV, Aids and TB treatment in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare Dr Owen Mgurungi urged legislators to desist from approving budgets that do not guarantee national health. “You must use your political power not to approve a budget which does not guarantee the health of the nation,” he said.
Labels: HEALTHCARE, NEOLIBERALISM, NURSES, TENDAI BITI
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Nurses get increment
By Kondwani Munyeka
Fri 06 Apr. 2012, 13:53 CAT
GOVERNMENT has awarded health workers salary increments ranging between K852,000 to K2,200,000 depending on an individual nurse's salary scale.
Zambia Union of Nurses Organisation president Thom Yungana said following negotiations with government, nurses and midwives had been awarded the highest salary increment in comparison to other professionals.
He said these increments could easily be explained in block figure terms and not in the usual traditional ‘percentage across the board'.
"We have seen our members going away with additional cash ranging from K852,000 to K2,200,000 depending on an individual nurse's salary scale," said Yungana during a briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
He also thanked government for making allowances flexible and not fixed with housing allowance on 20 per cent, newly introduced transport allowance at 10 per cent and commuted night duty allowance at five per cent of the basic salary.
"This means that every time the basic salary shall be adjusted upwards, allowances shall also automatically increase upwards," said Yung'ana.
He commended government for putting up a comprehensive and elaborate public service pay policy.
Yungana said the policy highlights the principles that guide the negotiations between government and trade unions in the public service for the coming 10 year period.
"This is aimed at getting the best of our collective bargaining process to the benefit of our members and the public service," Yungana said.
Yungana also highlight the 2012-2021 collective bargaining guiding principles as equal pay for equal work, life cycle of conditions of service, graded salary increase, introduction of compulsory health and funeral and life assurance schemes, retention of duty facilitating allowances, maintenance of housing and commuted night duty allowances and introduction of transport allowances as a percentage of basic salary to eligible employees.
Labels: HEALTHCARE, NURSES, SALARIES
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Government to improve doctor-patient ratio
By Kabanda Chulu
Fri 02 Mar. 2012, 10:59 CAT
GOVERNMENT is putting in place various measures to mitigate the current national doctor-patient ratio that stands at one doctor to 12,000 people, says deputy health minister Patrick Chikusu. And opposition MPs have condemned the manner in which government has trivialised gender issues by not establishing a full ministry.
Responding to Luanshya PF MP Steve Chungu who wanted to know the national doctor-patient ratio, Dr Chikusu said the government had no system in place to calculate the ratio but was using the population criteria.
"We have 1,072 doctors and we divide this with a population of 13 million to result in one doctor per 12,000 population but the WHO recommends one doctor per 5,000 population and to mitigate this we have in place measures such as having modern equipment, housing and car loan facilities aimed at attracting medical personnel who left the country," he said.
At this point, UPND Gwembe MP Brian Ntundu referred to Dr Chikusu as a lazy minister who could not avail correct figures but works and supply deputy minister Mwenya Musenge rose on a point of order, prompting Speaker Patrick Matibini to ask Ntundu to withdraw his remarks.
Earlier, Zambezi East MMD MP Sarah Sayifwanda asked when the gender in division department would be turned into a ministry.
Deputy minister in the office of the Vice-President Edgar Lungu responded that the government had no immediate intentions to set up a full ministry.
Lungu explained that having a full ministry would lower the status of gender since it was a cross-cutting issue that was placed at Cabinet Office to provide opportunities to all government programmes.
Labels: DOCTORS, HEALTHCARE, NURSES
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Kufuna calls for transfer of ‘uncaring' Petauke hospital staff
By Roy Habaalu in Petauke
Sat 18 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT
LABOUR deputy minister John Kufuna says health personnel at Petauke District Hospital must be transferred for their bad attitude towards patients.
During an impromptu visit to the hospital after he was informed that a male patient had been lying on a bench for 30 minutes unattended to in the evening Kufuna who was accompanied by Kawambwa member of parliament Lackson Chilangwa said staff at the institution was making government work difficult.
The deputy minister ordered a nurse found on duty to attend to the patient.
"It looks like you are not doing your job. Where is the clinical officer? Even the clinical officer is not here! We didn't find him, what's wrong with you nurses? Maybe you want to be sent somewhere else ba nurse!" Kufuna told the nurse who later run away.
"Where is the clinical officer? You are the clinical officer. Why can't you attend to the patient? What happens here? You operate from your homes, you don't operate from your offices, you are not working on shifts! Who is supposed to be here? You are being irresponsible. There is supposed to be a clinical officer and a nurse to attend to emergencies. Now a patient comes you just let him lie on the bench, is it normal?" Kufuna told a clinical officer who responded that he was not answerable to him.
Kufuna said the staff was reluctant to attend to patients because there were villagers who did not understand their right to health.
"You don't care, you are the people who are letting us down, you are letting the Zambians down, it's not fair. And where is the nurse who was here?" asked Kufuna.
The unidentified clinical officer who arrived 40 minutes later said, "I know how I operate as well, sir. You can't be questioning me."
But Kufuna told him to stop wasting his time and take the patient and attend to him.
Chilangwa said the situation was unacceptable.
"These people have an 'I-don't'care' attitude. For them it is business as usual. It's unacceptable that we find a person hit by a stone lying for 30 minutes. Suppose we (members of parliament and ministers) were not here? And this clinical officer is taking things so casually, laughing it off as if it's not his business! He says 'it's not me who was on duty, I just past through here'! Can you believe a hospital like this! The nurse we found didn't have the number for the doctor on call. What kind of operation is this? What kind of recklessness is that?" wondered Chilangwa.
"We can't accept this kind of nonsense, this is unacceptable and must come to an end. They don't give a damn to people from villages. The Minister of Health should take appropriate action after we give him a full report. This is the neglect MMD took this country to, it's unacceptable," Chilangwa said in an interview at the hospital.
Labels: DOCTORS, HEALTHCARE, NURSES, PETAUKE
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COMMENT - Heavens forbid, not wage inflation. Top bonuses, graft up the yingyang, that's ok. But woe to all if workers would benefit from the economy. The guy is a mental slave. He simply regurgitates whatever dogma comes from the IMF/World Bank. Remember that Alan Greenspan (former FED chief) used to warn against the perils of 'wage inflation'. He was forced to admit that his entire ideology was wrong. Now if only the former finance minister would follow in his footsteps.
Musokotwane warns of ripple effects of 100% salary hike,as Union urge government to spread increase to all public service workers
TIME PUBLISHED - Sunday, January 29, 2012, 6:56 am
Former Finance Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane has warned of ripple effects of the announced 100 percent salary hike for health workers. Dr. Musokotwane says the decision to effect the increment whilst being commendable
might result in hyper inflation in the country.He said that the move by government to give increment to one sector of workers is unsustainable questioning government’s source of funds for the increase.
And Dr. Musokotwane has asked government to rescind the prospective decision to reverse the sale of Zanaco to Rabo Bank of the Netherlands. He has maintained that most of the commissions of inquiry established by the PF government have pre-determined outcomes.
Dr. Musokotwane was speaking to MUVI TV News.
Meanwhile,the Agriculture Technical and Professional Staff Union of Zambia have joined calls for government to spread the recent 100 percent salary hike given to health workers to all public service workers.
Union General Secretary, Joe Kamutumwa notes that the 100 percent salary hike is a reflection of the desire by the state to improve the working conditions of the entire public service.
Government recently announced a 100 percent salary increment for all health workers.
Labels: HEALTHCARE, LABOUR, NEOLIBERALISM, NURSES, SALARIES, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE
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Health workers get 100% salary hike
TIME PUBLISHED - Thursday, January 26, 2012, 8:20 am
GOVERNMENT has increased salaries for all health workers by 100 percent, Minister of Labour, Sport and Youth Chishimba Kambwili said in Ndola yesterday. He said the pay rise will boost morale among health workers across the country.
“Today , we have increased the salaries for all our health workers by 100 percent, so when the PF government says it is putting more money into people’s pockets, we mean business and we are serious,” Mr Kambwili said.
The minister was speaking after visiting Morganite Limited. He said Government is concerned about the poor salaries many workers get across the country.
Mr Kambwili said the salary increment for health workers is an indication that Government is committed to improving salaries for civil servants, as promised during election campaigns.
And in another development, Mr Kambwili has ordered Morganite Limited general manager Stanley Kampo to report to the ministry next Tuesday.
The minister said Government is concerned with reports that Mr Kampo abuses workers and insults them.
“First of all, I am shocked that the person we are talking about is a Zambian and honestly, how can he do that to fellow Zambians? I want him next Tuesday at my office so that he can answer the allegations,” Mr Kambwili said.
“Today , we have increased the salaries for all our health workers by 100 percent, so when the PF government says it is putting more money into people’s pockets, we mean business and we are serious,” Mr Kambwili said.
He was speaking at Morganite Limited after paying a surprise visit to the company. The minister also ordered management to engage a human resource manager to help the company with personnel issues. Mr Kambwili said management should also allow workers to form a union.
And workers complained about the poor salaries offered by management. One worker said the pay slip does not indicate the housing allowance paid to workers and that they have not had a salary increment for the past four years.
Meanwhile, PRESIDENT Sata has asked Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda to explore ways of doubling remuneration of Zambian doctors as a way of putting more money in their pockets and improve health.
Mr. Sata also said rural health centres in the country are in a deplorable state and it is important to improve the doctor to patient ratio by having more doctors attend to patients in rural centres.
“I am pleading with the Minister of Finance,” President Sata said. “We have to find ways of doubling salaries for doctors to beat others in the region, so that we can attract our doctors back.”
If the doctors wages are doubled, a junior Zambian doctor from the University of Zambia could take home about K10 million which is still less than their colleagues in Nambia and South Africa.
President Sata said this at State House yesterday after he swore in a deputy minister, a permanent secretary and ambassadors and high commissioners.
He regretted that it has taken long for some ambassadors and high commissioners to take up their positions despite being appointed as far back as October last year, because of the poor record previous office holders left behind and urged new diplomats to exhibit exemplary behaviour.
“I am pleading with the Minister of Finance,” President Sata said. “We have to find ways of doubling salaries for doctors to beat others in the region, so that we can attract our doctors back.”
Mr Sata said it is important to have more doctors in the country to improve the health profile of citizens and make sure the PF manifesto is implemented.
The President’s directive is in line with the Patriotic Front campaign promise to improve the health sector by facilitating the building of vital infrastructure that will deliver primary healthcare as close to the people as possible.
In its manifesto on human resource, the PF says it intends to improve conditions of service to minimise the brain-drain.
It also plans to “rehabilitate and expand existing health training institutions to increase the number of graduates”.
Recently, President Sata announced an ambitious plan to erect some 650 health centres countrywide to make health care more accessible.
He said the new health posts are lined up as follows: 98 in Southern Province while Central Province will have 52 and Western Province will have 62 new health posts.
Mr Sata said new health posts will bring with them the benefits of boosting the construction sector and consequently job creation during the construction phase, plus greater access to health, especially in rural areas.
Northern Province will have 107 new health posts while North-Western Province will have 74. Lusaka Province will have 27, Luapula 63, Eastern 68 and Copperbelt 87.
The President said the health posts and residence facilities will be equipped with solar systems, equipment and furniture, hand pumps, medicines, dressing materials, electricity and running water.
President Sata also instructed the Minister of Health Dr Joseph Kasonde to step up the recruitment of health personnel both locally and abroad to ensure that the new health posts are adequately staffed.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Labels: CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI, HEALTHCARE, NURSES
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Government increases funding to the health sector, abolishes primary health services fees
TIME PUBLISHED - Friday, November 11, 2011, 4:16 pm
By Staff Reporter
The government has increase its funding to the health sector by 45 percent from this year’s K 1,772.9 billion to K2579.9 billion in 2012. The government has also abolished primary health services fees, meaning Zambians could now access free health services in clinics.
Speaking during the announcement of the K25 trillion 2012 budget, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda said the government will run the health sector in line with the Abuja Declaration to which Zambia is a signatory.
The Aduja Declaration demands that signatories commit 15 percent of their national budgets to the health sector.
The ministry is the largest recipient of donor funding but has in the past two years been hard hit by withdrawal of grants following poor accountability issues.
In the Abuja Declaration adopted at the 24-27 April 2001 summit, African leaders declared that AIDS was a state of emergency in the continent and pledged to place the fight against the pandemic at the forefront and as the highest priority issue in their respective national development plans.
They also committed to take personal responsibility and provide leadership for the activities of the National AIDS Commissions or Councils.
In his address, Mr Chikwanda announced also announced that the government has allocated K301.7 billion to the purchase of drugs and medical equipment.
Labels: BUDGET, HEALTHCARE, NURSES
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Nurses condemn violence
By Agness Changala
Wed 07 Sep. 2011, 13:56 CAT
ZAMBIA Union of Nurses Organisation has condemned the recent violence that has left several cadres from different political parties injured and hospitalised.
Commenting on the violence that has charcaterised the political campaigns for this year's elections, Zambia Union of Nurses (ZUNO) president Thom Yungana said violence would prove to be costly to the already inadequate and overstretched healthcare system in the country.
He said more surgical and medical equipment would have to be acquired to treat the victims.
Yungana urged political parties to restrain their cadres from engaging in violence.
"Violence is costly in the management of the healthcare system as we will need a lot of surgical and medical supplies to adequately tend to the victims of the political violence," said Yungana.
Labels: NURSES, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
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Over 2 000 graduate nurses jobless
Monday, 13 June 2011 23:04
By Peter Matambanadzo
OVER 2 000 graduate nurses countrywide bonded by the Government after training remain jobless becau-se health institutions have frozen recruitment. More than 500 nurses graduate from mission and Government hospitals annually. Government has frozen about 400 nurses' and doctors' posts nation wide since June last year.
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare said the Ministry of Finance had unfrozen 205 posts for registered general nurses, 115 State certified nurses, 17 primary care nurses and 42 doctors. According to records, 8 056 nurses are employed throughout Zimbabwe against an establishment of 7 688.
This is a clear indication that all nurses who are graduating from nursing schools cannot be absorbed into available health institutions.
This has forced the graduate nurses to petition the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare demanding to be released from the bonds and be allowed to seek employment elsewhere.
Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora recently said the Government was aware of the nurses' plight.
"We are currently engaging the Ministry of Fina-nce to assist us. So we should be able to inform them of any latest developments soon," Dr Mombeshora said.
He said Government was "tirelessly" working towards addressing the issue.
He could not disclose details of a meeting he had with Permanent Secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji on the matter.
The nurses' group representative, Mr Norest Makanga, in a letter to the ministry, said they had raised concerns with the ministry on several occasions with no joy.
"We are qualified nurses since December 2010 and we have not been employed up to now. We are seeking your response to our issue. We went to all departments responsible for employment, that is human resources and public service who just say the posts are frozen due to lack of finance.
"We approached the permanent secretary in the form of a written letter asking for our diplomas so that we seek employment elsewhere within the re-gion but all was in vain," Mr Makanga said.
He said they wanted Government to respond to their plight and inform them how they were going to deal with the increasing number of jobless nurses.
"We understand we are about 2 000 nurses countrywide who are qualified and are yet to be employed. When we reported to the various institutions that we were assigned, we were turned away as we were told that the posts have been frozen due to lack of funds," he said.
He said another problem was that when they enrolled at the training schools, they signed contracts that stated that they had been bonded for three years post-qualifying.
Nurses train for three years for a registered general nurse's course.
"The idea of keeping us bonded is a clear indication of us being employed by your ministry. We need money to pay rent, food, water and electricity bills, pay school fees and even taking care of our fami- lies.
"Most of us are parents and things are hard for us without employment," he said.
Labels: NURSES
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Nurses deserve public support, respect
By The Post
Tue 17 May 2011, 04:00 CAT
THE observations made by Besa Chimbaka, the Minister for Luapula Province, about the shortage of nurses in the country being a constraint and barrier to our people’s access to quality health services should attract the attention of everyone in government and civil society.
It cannot be denied that there is a serious shortage of nurses in our country and this has serious consequences on the provision of health services in our country.
A shortage of nurses leads to long queues at clinics and hospitals, long waiting periods before patients can be attended to. This leads to the slowing down of procedures at clinics and hospitals and increase adverse events for patients and more stressful work environment.
As the shortage of nurses increases, there is increased pressure on our health system to start depending on unqualified and unregulated health workers to meet demands for basic nursing care within clinics and hospitals.
We agree with Chimbaka that nursing is a noble profession and that in every country, nurses were a principal group of people promoting the respect for individual human rights among other issues.
One cannot claim to have respect for human rights or to uphold the sanctity of life if there is no provision for minimum health care for all. And there is no future development without healthy citizens. It is said that caring for the sick is a calling from God of a special dignity and importance, not just another job.
Truly, this is so because health care is really an imitation of Jesus, who saw healing the sick as central to his ministry of establishing the Kingdom of God. We may not be able to cure miraculously our sick sisters and brothers around us but we can share the charity of tender hands and also promote the justice of good health policies and adequate medicines.
But we disagree with Chimbaka when he says that the shortage of nurses in the country is the reason why the government is providing mobile hospitals. This is nonsense. It doesn’t make sense. He is not telling the truth and he is talking about an issue whose origins he probably doesn’t even understand.
This corrupt scheme of mobile hospitals can never address the shortage of nurses and was not in any way meant to deal with that problem, to be a remedy for it. It was simply a project that was meant to enrich some individuals. This is a subject of another editorial comment.
What is true, what is correct, in what Chimbaka said is that nurses play a very important role in the provision of health care to our people and also that some major gaps still exist in the delivery of health services to our people. In this regard, Chimbaka’s observations are correct and true.
A nurse is a healthcare professional who, in collaboration with other members of a healthcare team, is responsible for: treatment, safety and recovery of acutely or chronically ill individuals; health promotion and maintenance within families, communities and populations; and, treatment of life threatening emergencies in a wide-range healthcare setting.
We say this because nurses perform a wide range of clinical and non-clinical functions necessary to the delivery of healthcare. For this reason, if there is a shortage of nurses, a gap, as Chimbaka correctly observed, is created in the delivery of health services.
And where there is a gap as a result of a shortage of nurses, stress sets in among those few nurses and indeed among their patients and their families. This leads to poor relations between the nurses and the patients and indeed their families. We cannot expect an overstretched and stressed nurses to offer good care to their patients.
This leads to anger and frustration in patients and their families. As a result of this, we see nurses being abused, insulted and harassed in all sorts of ways.
Mobile clinics will not address the shortage of nurses because that fleet will move with only a limited number of nurses who have difficulties taking shifts. And they may suffer worse stress than the nurses at fixed hospitals and clinics.
The money being used on these mobile clinics or hospitals would have been better utilised by channelling it to the training of more nurses and improving their conditions of work instead of buying diesel and oil for the trucks.
Moreover, the nurses and other medical staff on these trucks will need to be paid allowances for being away from home. Clearly, this is a senseless undertaking that cannot be justified in any way. And whoever tries to justify it simply ends up making a fool of themselves.
Chimbaka had a very good speech for May 12, the International Nurses Day celebrated around the world since it was instituted in homage to Florence Nightingale, a world nursing symbol born on that day in 1820 in Britain.
Chimbaka said a lot of very good and valuable things, but messed his speech up by trying to sell a corrupt project he has been forced to promote by the appointing authorities who initiated it.
International Nurses Day is a noble day, and Chimbaka should have kept that corrupt scheme of theirs called mobile clinics or hospitals out of it.
That scheme of theirs doesn’t resonate with the deeds and spirit of Nightingale, that outstanding medical official, that British nurse of Italian descent who completely transformed the traditional practice of nursing by introducing qualitative changes in terms of providing healthcare to soldiers, improving sanitation and hygiene and implementing measures that met the needs of patients and helped them provide better quality of life during periods of convalescence.
Recipients and providers of nursing services are viewed as individuals and groups who possess basic rights and responsibilities, and whose values and circumstances should command respect at all times. Nursing encompasses the promotion and restoration of health, the prevention of illness, and the alleviation of suffering.
Clearly, the need for nursing is universal and inherent in nursing is respect for life, dignity and the rights of fellow human beings. Therefore, nurses have to be compassionate people.
For this reason, we urge our nurses to be extremely tolerant and respectful of their patients. We urge them to at all times maintain standards of personal conduct which reflect credit upon their profession.
But let’s not forget that nurses share with all of us the responsibility for initiating and supporting action to meet the health and social needs of the public. This means that when they are mistreated, we should also feel on ourselves their mistreatment; when they protest or demand improved conditions of service, we should be on their side and support their cause.
This is the only way the nurse can reestablish the public’s confidence and get its support and cooperation in the struggle for a better nursing service both in quality of work and conditions of service. The nurses need to get the public on their side. And the public needs to support the nurses so that they can in turn give them a better service.
Labels: BESA CHIMBAKA, NURSES
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Nurses are overstretched - NGOCC
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 17 May 2011, 04:00 CAT
NURSES in the country are overstretched and this has resulted in frustrations during the course of their duties, observes NGOCC.
In an interview, Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council board chairperson Beatrice Grillo said because of the burden that the nurses had of taking care of too many patients at the same time, they could not discharge their duties effectively.
“Every health centre needs nurses to give medication to patients in the absence of the doctors because patients are difficult people to handle and they need nurses to be there for them but because of this tremendous pressure that falls on them, you don't expect them to give proper care.
No wonder the nursing system has broken down in the country because when you go to clinics and hospitals, you find a lot of people at the bed sides taking care of their patients,” Grillo said.
She said this trend where relatives were taking care of patients was likely to impact negatively on the country’s economy as people were forced to spend most of their time at the hospitals.
She said more resources needed to be given to the health sector in order to attract more nurses that had left the country for greener pastures.
“The approval of the K21.1 billion supplementary budget for administrative and operational costs of mobile hospitals only goes to show that the government's priorities are misplaced because this money could have been used to see to it that clinics and hospitals have adequate personnel,” Grillo said.
And the NGOCC says the accommodating of both male and female nurses in the same ward at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) filter clinic is a violation of patients' human rights.
Commenting on the accommodation crisis that had hit the filter clinic at the country’s largest hospital, where male and female patients were sharing the same ward due to insufficient space, Grillo called on the government to immediately address the situation, as it was not only conducive to patients but the general public as well.
“We need more wards at the UTH and the K21.1 billion supplementary budget for administrative and operational costs of mobile hospitals is not a priority for now and we appeal to the Minister of Health to address the situation at UTH,” said Grillo.
Labels: NGOCC, NURSES
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Nurses boo, anger Health minister
Tuesday, December 28, 2010, 7:37
By Dimboni Mafweto
Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao was yesterday booed when he tried to convince health workers that government had signed agreements with commercial banks to offer them up to K100 million loans. This happened when Mr. Simbao made a speech during the launch of the distribution exercise of the new nurses’ uniforms at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
Explaining what government was doing to improve the living standards of the health workers, Mr. Simbao said his ministry was concerned with the fact that most of them did not have decent accommodation.
“We have signed agreements with banks to allow you to access loans, the maximum they will give you is K100 million….” he said.
But the health workers booed him and told him that they were not school pupils whom he could easily lie to and get away with it. The nurses further challenged him to mention one nurse who had accessed a K100 million loan.
They reminded the Health minister that no bank in Zambia would give an employee who earns less than K5 million that kind of loan and stressed that with their K2 million pay, they would only access loans of up to K20 million.
Mr. Simbao tried to counter the booing by shouting at the crowd through the microphone telling nurses to keep quiet and listen to his speech, but the health workers become unruly while some indistinctly called him liar.
Struggling to prove to the nurses that his message was genuine, the minister then turned to UTH senior superintendent Lackson Kasonka to assure them that they would access the loans.
“These loans are there at the bank. Don’t just say Wooo!! Wooo!! When you haven’t been there, go and get the loans and build houses…Hey (Dr. Kasonka) come and tell them, they think I am telling lies, come and tell them yourself they will listen to you since you work with them here,” said a visibly agitated Mr. Simbao.
This did not help as Dr. Kasonka who seemed not prepared to agree with the minister at that stage got no cooperation for silence from the health workers who instead demanded to know when they would get salary increments.
The Minister took back to the podium and explained that there was no need to boo him as salary increments were not determined by his office.
Labels: HEALTHCARE, KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, NURSES, UTH
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Muchima urges nurses to be compassionate in their work
By Sandra Lombe in Livingstone
Sun 31 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT
SOUTHERN Province minister Elijah Muchima has urged nurses to be compassionate and diligent as they execute their work.
Officiating at a combined Livingstone and Western schools of nursing graduation ceremonies and Livingstone General Hospital on Friday, Muchima said nursing was fraught with many challenges which required an exemplary attitude and work.
“Nursing is dynamic and I urge you to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way to learn new things in order to be abreast with emerging diseases and what they demand to ensure safe and optimal care provision,” he told the graduates.
He advised the graduates to stay clear of HIV and if they were positive, to seek medical treatment early.
Muchima said the government was firmly and steadily implementing the human resource for health strategic plan (HRH) to help address the human resource crisis.
He said measures, which include among others training, recruitment and retention of health workers, had been put in place to ensure that there were adequate health workers.
Muchima said the structure of the Ministry of Health was 51,414 but as of September 2010, the head count was at 30,788.
Labels: ELIJAH MUCHIMA, HEALTHCARE, NURSES
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Bad-mannered nurse beaten, suspended from work
By Nyasa Times
Published: February 18, 2010
A nurse at Mangochi District Hospital, well known for her high level and uncensored rudeness saw the earth turning upside down last Saturday after irate guardians descended upon and baptized her with some slaps, Nyasa Times has understood.
The nurse, identified as Trina Ng’ambi, met her fate for allegedly neglecting a critically-ill patient, who later died, Mangochi District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Maurice Mulenga confirmed.
On the day of the incident, the nurse refused openly to attend to the patient claiming she was tired and a few minutes later the patient died a development that angered the guardians.
After the patient died, the guardian became furious and started slapping the nurse. Other people who were in the ward also joined him in giving lessons to the nurse.
Dr Mulenga said the nurse had been suspended pending investigations over the matter and other reports of ill treating the patients.
“I indeed received complainants against the nurse and she has indeed been suspended pending investigations by the Appointments and Disciplinary Committee,” said Dr Mulenga.
Reports indicate that Ng’ambi is so rude to patients, particularly to pregnant mothers who she sometimes slaps and calls them all sorts of names.
The nurse even shouts at the expectant mothers telling them “Am I the one who made you pregnant.”
In an interview, Executive Director of Nurses and Midwives Organisation in Malawi, Dorothy Ng’oma (pictured), said her office had heard about the nurse conduct but was yet to get a report on her suspension.
“I cannot comment at the moment until I get a report on that,” she said.
Labels: MALAWI, NURSES
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Govt embarks on mass recruitment of nurses
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Sun 01 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
MINISTER of Health Kapembwa Simbao says the government has embarked on a mass recruitment of nurses including retired ones. And Simbao has said the health sector is operating at far less than the required human resource capacity.
During the seventh graduation ceremony of registered nurses at Livingstone General Hospital on Friday, Simbao said the nurse-patient ratio was still high, meaning that Zambia still had too few nurses attending to large numbers of patients.
"Government has embarked on a mass recruitment of nurses and this exercise has been extended to retired nurses who will be employed on contracts. It is our aim that we must not have qualified nurses on the streets, living without employment," he said.
Simbao added that the retention programme under the Health Resource for Health Strategic Plan would ensure that rural and remote health facilities were staffed with skilled health professionals.
"I'm happy to report that gradually this goal is being realised. This scheme is a package of both monetary and non-monetary incentives, which presently benefits health cadres such as nurses, nurse tutors, clinical officers and environmental technicians. This package of incentives comprises monthly allowances, house renovation support, a car loan, post graduate education support and an end of contract bonus. Presently there are 800 health workers on this scheme," he said.
Simbao added that in order to increase the intakes in the nurses' training schools, the government with the support of co-operating partners, had embarked on the construction of hostels and classroom blocks throughout the country.
He said that the ministry, working in conjunction with the University of Zambia, had commenced a direct entry programme for a degree in nursing.
"With this development, the government is confident that the staffing levels in our nurse training schools will greatly improve and this will also contribute greatly to the improved patient care in our service area," he said.
Simbao praised the Clinton Foundation for providing support to the Ministry of Health.
And Livingstone General Hospital acting medical superintendent Dr High Monze said the hospital faces challenges especially for specialised doctors.
"We are therefore requesting for these specialists if we have to provide quality care to the referred patients. This will also reduce the cost of referral of patients to UTH and it will improve the quality of teaching to our student nurses," he said.
He added that the hospital had no ambulance for some years now creating a problem when referring patients to UTH.
Dr Monze added that the laundry equipment at the hospital was outdated and had proved to be expensive to maintain.
"The equipment needs a total overhaul in order to achieve the effective infection prevention programme. The elevators too have been non functional and can no longer be repaired," he said.
Labels: KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, NURSES
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