The Zimbabwe government has deployed military doctors and nurses to state hospitals that are reeling under a strike by state medical staff, the Herald newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Health Minister David Parirenyatwa told the state-run daily that the deployment was an emergency measure aimed at avoiding loss of lives.
Doctors at government hospitals in the Southern African country went on an indefinite strike last week demanding an 8 000% pay increase, from a current gross monthly salary of Z$378 000 Zimbabwean dollars (about R3 300).
Nurses joined in the strike this week, demanding a 7 000% pay hike.
Before the military doctors stepped in, only foreign consultant doctors hired by the government from Cuba and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been at work at the affected hospitals.
Pay-related national strikes by Zimbabwe’s government hospital doctors have become an almost annual tradition and can last for as long as several months.
Poor renumeration of medical personnel has seen a mass exodus of health workers — doctors and nurses — particularly to Britain, Canada, the United States and neighbouring South Africa where pay and conditions are more attractive.
Parirenyatwa, who has described the pay demands as ”unrealistic”, said the strike was ”unethical”.
He has appealed to the striking workers to return to work.
”I urge all health workers on strike to return to work to avoid further loss of lives while government looks into their grievances,” he said.
No figures are available of any unavoidable deaths that may have occurred so far at the affected hospitals. — Sapa-AFP