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State Takes Bonding of Doctors Seriously
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07.16.04 (4 years ago)
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State Takes Bonding of Doctors, Nurses Seriously: Parirenyatwa
Harare
The Government is thinking seriously about bonding doctors and nurses in a move which will see them working in local health institutions for the same number of years it takes to train them, before they can leave the country, the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa, has said.
He said nurses would be expected to serve for at least three years while doctors would have to work for at least five years after training.
This would see a reduction in the number of health personnel leaving the country after training in search of greener pastures, as has been the case in the past.
In a speech read on his behalf at the launch of nine ox-drawn ambulances in Seke recently, Dr Parirenyatwa said the Government would not accept money in exchange for labour from the nurses and doctors.
"We are taking seriously the issue of bonding and will not take money from the trained nurses and doctors but expect them to work.
"Some of them have been offering to pay back the money used to train them but we have since resolved that we will not accept that money. Money can never translate into a good doctor or nurse and that is what we need most," he said.
These measures were being taken to stem the mass exodus of health personnel to other countries in the region or overseas in search of greener pastures.
This exodus has seen several areas and communities in the country doing without skilled health personnel.
Dr Parirenyatwa said his ministry was also committed to improving working conditions in the health sector in a bid to keep health personnel happy and content.
State registered nurses and doctors have been leaving the country in droves over the past few years in favour of those countries where remuneration is considerably better.
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Southern Africa
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Zimbabwe
To alleviate the serious shortage of nurses in the country, Government introduced a primary care nursing course, which saw nurses being trained in 18 months, half the time it takes to train a State registered nurse.
Government has also signed agreements with friendly countries such as Cuba and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the secondment of doctors to some of Zimbabwe's understaffed hospitals.
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