By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
DOCTORS at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) have dismissed reports that they have gone on strike.
Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) president Francis Mupeta said at a Press briefing yesterday that junior doctors had not gone on strike or on go-slow as reported in some sections of the media.
“We wish to inform the public that the resident doctors are not on strike. Operations at UTH are running normally and doctors are attending to patients,” Dr Mupeta said.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the junior doctors at UTH had gone on strike demanding allowances owed to them.
Dr Mupeta, however, said the junior doctors and Government had misunderstandings that needed to be addressed.
The junior doctors are demanding more than K10 million in allowances owed to about 250 doctors.
Dr Mupeta said he was optimistic that Government would look into that issue and other issues that were affecting the doctors.
Apart from the allowances, other issues affecting the junior doctors were limited medical equipment, huge doctor-patient ratio, lack of promotions and limited positions.
Dr Mupeta said the issue of arrears relating to allowances should be looked into within two weeks or else the doctors would be forced to down tools.
He said it was not in the best interest of the doctors, the hospital or the patients to strike every time there were grievances but that dialogue was important.
The doctors said they would continue to engage Government on matters so as to improve service delivery and avert industrial unrest among health workers.