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Joseph Madzimure, Harare Bureau

GOVERNMENT will meet striking doctors tomorrow in its endeavour to bring normalcy to the country’s public health institutions, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo, has said.  

Speaking at the Cabinet briefing in Harare yesterday, Dr Moyo said the Government is committed to continue engaging doctors to ensure patients are taken care of. 

“Government is still committed to dialogue with the striking doctors and a meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, 14 November, 2019,” said Dr Moyo.

The strike by the doctors over conditions of service has now gone beyond 70 days. 

A total of 322 disciplinary cases have so far been heard with 286 doctors being found guilty and discharged. 

The doctors insist they are incapacitated to report for duty and have demanded to be paid their salaries in US dollars.

They have also called on the Government to improve their working conditions at their work stations. 

Dr Moyo said Government is working flat out to address the concerns raised by doctors.

“Government is working flat out to ensure availability of resources in the health institutions as well as improve the conditions of service for all health personnel. “Doctors are saying their working environment at health services institutions is not conducive. I want to assure them that we have ordered more medicines. Government has allocated money towards restocking of medicines at public hospitals to ensure a proper health care service is provided to the people,” said Dr Moyo.

The provision of institutional accommodation is being pursued in order to alleviate the challenges that affect service delivery in the short, medium to long term.