MATABELELAND SOUTH – THE acute shortage of housing is adversely affecting
staff recruitment in the health sector, especially medical doctors and specialists, an
official has said.
In some cases married staff members are having to share the few available houses.
Acting Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director, Dr Andrew Muza, said
doctors are shunning the district hospitals due to lack of accommodation.
“We have a serious shortage of staff houses, which has led to 40 percent in doctors
staffing.
“For the past seven months, Mangwe in Plumtree has been operating with one
doctor, Esigodini (2), Insiza (3) and Matobo (2)”
“The challenge is that the junior doctors will be from college and for them to get
accommodation in districts like Gwanda and Beitbridge town is not easy.
“They then opt for districts like Matobo and Insiza, where they get full houses,” said
Dr Muza.
Meanwhile the issue of conditions of service and tools of trade for health workers
has been topical for some time.
However, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who is
also the Vice-President assured the health workers that Cabinet was seized with
their issue.
“I am very much aware of the challenges that are affecting our work, chief among
them which is poor working conditions, including lack of tools of trade.
“As I mentioned earlier, my mission is to stabilise the health sector and restore the
dignity of health workers.
“My thrust is, therefore, to ensure that health workers are competitively remunerated,
have decent accommodation and reliable transport,” said VP Chiwenga.
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