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Zimbabwe Firing More than 200 Doctors as Economy Worsens

Zimbabwe has fired 211 doctors for doing a strike demanding a better salary. It is expressed by the agency responsible for the country’s public health services.

“Doctors are found guilty of being absent from assignments without leave or sensible reasons for five days or more,” according to a statement from the Health Care Agency (HSB) of Zimbabwe, Saturday (9/11/2019).

The strike itself began last September. HSB says nearly a third of all physicians – 516 from 1,601 who are employed in government-funded hospitals – face or will face disciplinary trials. The Zimbabwe Hospital Physician Association hasn’t commented on this latest news, but previously they had complained of intimidation.

The strike action that the doctors were paralyzing had crippled the large hospitals, and most only the emergency cases were handled. The government of Zimbabwe said it could not raise the salaries of physicians when the people of Zimbabwe called for a quick resolution of what was referred to as the genocide slowly, said Southernafrican. News reporter Shingai Nyoka in Harare. The country is in the midst of a high economic crisis and inflation.

The condition has heavily eroded the public’s income. Hence the true value of a physician’s salary becomes equal to less than RP1, 4 million per month.

“What we pay is not enough for food or rent,” says Dr. Lindsey Robertson.

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