The doctors’ strike continued unabated in Bulawayo with medical practitioners vowing to continue with their industrial action until government addresses their grievances.
CITE visited United Bulawayo Hospitals and Mpilo Central Hospital where outpatient departments have been shut down since Sunday.
At UBH all entrances leading to the outpatient department were barricaded with stones and drums to prevent vehicles from going through.
Both hospitals are only taking patients who require immediate attention through the emergency department.
The Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Obadiah Moyo and the Zimbabwe health board have since deemed the stand-down by doctors as illegal, demanding they resume their duties with immediate effect.
UBH Clinical Director Dr Narcisius Dzvanga on Monday stated that all the outpatient departments will be shut down until further notice, with services only being rendered to critically ill patients.
“Please be advised that there is another ongoing industrial action by the JRMOs and the SRMOs at all the central hospitals effective December 2 2018,” said Dr Dzvanga.
He added: “Management recommends there be closure of all outpatients departments until further notice, discharge of all stable patients who are considered safe on treatments as out-patients, casualty offices to admit patients to respective disciplines in liason with teams on call and continue with emergency operations only.”
Last week, President of Zimbabwe Nurses Association Enoch Dongo expressed disdain over the amount of money allocated to them for bonuses by the minister of Finance and Economic department Mthuli Ncube, citing the amount was ridiculous and an insult to the services rendered by the health sector.
