Healthcare workers held to ransom
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- 04 Apr 2023
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Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called out rich countries for taking health workers from poor countries, representatives of public sector workers in Zimbabwe say pathetic working conditions amid an unending socio-economic crisis are forcing workers to seek pastures elsewhere.
The World Health Organisation’s2023 report titled: “Health Workforce Support and Safeguards” found that some 55 countries, including Zimbabwe, now rank below the global median in terms of their density of doctors, nurses and midwives per capita.
Countries making the list have a density of doctors, nurses and midwives below the global median of 49 per 10 000. Zimbabwe, with a health worker density of 36 per 10 000, was added to the new list made up of countries that have vulnerable health forces; together with Rwanda, Comoros and Zambia.
The country has lost over 4 000 workers over the past two years, which includes 1 700 registered nurses who resigned in 2021 and over 900 who resigned in 2022, according to the Health Services Board quoted by Reuters.
The Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Unions (ZCPTSU) says poor conditions which are still prevalent in Zimbabwe’s health sector have been forcing people to seek better opportunities outside the country.
“The major problem in the health sector is remuneration. That is the major problem which has seen people migrating out of Zimbabwe to rich countries where they will be offered better conditions and better pay,” says Charles Chinosengwa, the ZCPTSU organising secretary.
“Most of our hospitals have no resources. A patient may need oxygen, but then there will be none. In other cases, a patient may need paracetamol, then there will not be any paracetamol. Tools of the trade are also pushing professional health workers out of the country. Read More…
