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Dr Solwayo Ngwenya

Thandeka Moyo, Health Reporter
DISGRUNTLED doctors at Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals have put on hold plans to go on strike in favour of dialogue after the Salary Services Bureau (SSB) stopped paying overtime allowances.

Officials at Mpilo Central Hospital and UBH confirmed that despite initial plans to embark on industrial action, doctors were working normally.

Mpilo clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said doctors who had earlier threatened to reduce their working hours, had agreed to work normally while engaging SSB.

Two weeks ago, the SSB unilaterally decided to stop paying overtime allowances unless doctors work during official leave.

“They had threatened to go on strike but we had a meeting on Tuesday where we negotiated with the doctors. We are still engaging the SSB so that they sort this out as doctors are dissatisfied,” said Dr Ngwenya.

“All our wards are functioning normally and qualified doctors are there all the time to attend to our patients.”

He said doctors had agreed to work normally until the issue is resolved. UBH chief executive officer Mrs Nonhlanhla Ndlovu said doctors were available every hour at the institution.

“There is no strike or go slow. Doctors are there every hour and we do not have any problems,” said Mrs Ndlovu.

In a letter that was addressed to the UBH clinical director last week, doctors said they would work from 8AM to 4PM daily.

“We will work from 8AM to 4PM and have 72 hours of calls monthly. On this note the Salary Services Bureau already owes us 294 hours of locums that we worked for hence we will spread the owed hours to the future calls,” reads the letter.

“We have also decided that to provide the best health care we do not improvise or write sundries for the hospital. The hospitals and Government should write sundries for patients on their own. Our roster will be adjusted with immediate effect.”

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said doctors at UBH had been reluctant to work after 4PM, but were arm-twisted.

“A meeting was held and they had to be threatened that they would be deployed to rural areas if they did not revert to normal working hours. They had been working up to four thereby disadvantaging patients who have had to go to Mpilo after hours,” said the source.

One doctor said overtime allowances are pegged at $7 per hour during week days and $10 an hour during weekends.