ZIMBABWE – The body in charge of the public health service in this African country said 211 doctors were sacked last week due to their on-going strike for better pay.
The doctors were “found guilty of absenting themselves from duty without leave or reasonable cause” for five or more days, according to the Health Service Board (HSB).
The strike began in September, paralyzing major hospitals.
“What we get paid is no longer enough for food or rent,” Zimbabwean Dr. Lindsey Robertson stressed.
The HSB said almost a third of all doctors – 516 out of 1,601 employed in government-funded hospitals – either have faced or will face disciplinary tribunals.(BBC)
