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OpenZINA: Nurses Struggling With Financial Challenges And Poor Working Conditions
The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) says that nurses in the public health sector across the country are facing serious financial struggles and difficult working conditions.
ZINA recently visited several hospitals and clinics in the Midlands Province, such as Kwekwe General Hospital, Mbizo 11 Clinic, Mvuma District Hospital, and others, to talk about the challenges nurses are facing in Zimbabwe’s healthcare system.
In an interview with NewsDay, ZINA president Enock Dongo said that the salaries for January and February were “shockingly low and insufficient” to cover even the basic needs of healthcare workers. Said Dongo:
The nurses have gone back to the salaries that they were earning in October. In February they received between US$220 and US$250 allowance and their ZiG salary was between ZiG4 000 and ZiG7 000 and considering the parallel market exchange rate, that is not enough.
The nurses, already grappling with financial challenges, are working under extreme conditions that compound their frustrations.
Many are struggling to cover transportation costs and some have had to make difficult decisions regarding basic daily expenses due to the meagre pay.
He said the situation is even more dire in rural hospitals, where many facilities lack security guards and mortuary attendants, forcing nurses to take on additional responsibilities beyond their professional duties. Added Dongo:
Nurses in rural areas are also struggling to secure accommodation, as they are not provided with houses and are forced to use their meagre salaries to rent places to stay…
We noted that the country’s healthcare system is facing chronic shortages of both equipment and staff, leading to overwhelming pressure on the remaining workforce.
Nurses are reporting long shifts, often without the necessary resources to properly care for patients and overcrowded hospitals are making it difficult to maintain quality healthcare services.
The physical and emotional toll on healthcare workers is growing and this could lead to further burnout and exodus of skilled professionals.
Dongo called on the government to urgently address the issues faced by nurses, warning that many are leaving for better opportunities because of low pay and poor working conditions.
He said the situation could get worse, and if the government doesn’t act quickly, even more skilled healthcare workers might leave.
Dongo urged the government to focus on improving the health sector by raising salaries, improving working conditions, and investing more in healthcare resources.
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