Nurses at the Roman Catholic Church-run Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo are reported to be on strike after they received an annual bonus of US$10.
Sources say some nurses are not coming to work while those who report for duty are not working. Said the source:
“The situation is dire at Mater Dei due to meagre salaries, registered general nurses got US$10 on top of bond salaries which is ZWL$83 000. Some nurses are not reporting for duty while those who are reporting are staging seat-in demonstrations. A general worker or nurse aide earns more than nurses because they are related to the administration.”
The nurses appealed to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to intervene and also to Zimbabweans to boycott the private hospital. Said a nurse:
“How can one get treated at a hospital where staff is demoralised? Meals are hectic, cabbage and chunks on a daily basis, and boiled stuff which even a pig cannot consume. Even though the food is highly subsidized, it’s not a proper meal.”
Contacted for a comment, the Mater Dei administrator, Sister Maureen Jameson said that they don’t discuss internal affairs, such as salaries, with outsiders.
