Medical graduates side with striking doctors in Zimbabwe by refusing state’s offer
Specialists have also threatened to down tools if the impasse is not resolved
Government attempts to hire recently qualified doctors to replace striking medical professionals in Zimbabwe hit a wall as graduates snubbed the state’s offer. The country has two medical schools, housed at the University of Zimbabwe and the National University of Science and Technology, with a combined average of about 40 graduates annually. In a letter addressed to the Health Services Board, the graduates sang the same tune as their seniors. “We are greatly disturbed by the ministry’s efforts to undermine the genuine grievances raised by our fellow doctors and the move to try and recruit us to cover the gap created. We want to categorically state that we are in full support of our senior colleagues and believe in dialogue rather than duress,” they said. Earlier, when vice-president Constantino Chiwenga announced the firing of at least 15,000 nurses, the government attempted to plug the gap by hiring new graduates. However, the 15,000 nurses were eventually rehired.
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