UPND Demands That Government Pays Doctors

The United Party for National Development has issued a statement demanding that the government immediately pay the overdue salaries owed to junior doctors, in response to a nation-wide slow-down by health workers. 

In the statement, UPND spokesperson Anthony Bwalya says the party are “entirely sympathetic and support the push by doctors to get their dues settled, but also strongly and earnestly urge that there should not be any unnecessary disruption to the life saving services which our doctors continue to provide to all of us under very difficult circumstances.” 

It goes on to call the situation “both disheartening and disturbing”  and laments that the circumstances have arisen as a result of “PF sponsored corruption and plunder”.    

Junior doctors across the country initiated a go-slow on Monday morning, in response to salary arrears of over K150 million. The Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) has also asked the government to clarify when they will begin recruiting more staff for state hospitals, as 530 qualified physicians remain unemployed.  

During the go-slow, only emergency cases will be attended to, as the the doctors attempt to hold the government to account for its negligence. It comes as Zambia remains in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the government reimposing mandatory quarantines for travellers from 15 countries on Friday. 

In its response, the UPND has demanded that the government reallocate the K470 million earmarked for the Presidential Empowerment Fund to pay the doctors’ salaries. 

The opposition party says that, should it be successful in August’s elections, it will prioritise the welfare of frontline healthcare personnel as a matter of great importance.