Nurses's strike continues

It is almost a month since the health workers particularly nurses went on strike and the republican president has not yet commented on the matter.

The situation in different clinics and hospitals has worsened as patiently are turned down and those fortunate are been attended to by student nurses and some doctors. In a recent development, the Zambian union of nurses signed a 15% salary increment during the negotiation that they had with management and ministry of health. The nurses have refused the 15% and not resumed for work. In Kitwe nurses wore black cloths protesting that the current union be removed, the nurses claim that the union did not inform them about the 15% but instead signed the agreement. Although the nurses have been urged to go back for work by the union, the nurses are still demanding for good condition of services which will also include 1.5 million kwacha met for houses allowance, uniforms, night duty and many more services. One of the affected Lusaka residents phoned in during a radio program narrating that his neighbor who was suffering from diabetes passed away because instead of been given an injection, a student nurse gave him paracetamol (panado).

The minister of health has appealed to nurses to go back to work because they (union) had already signed a new collective agreement. And Government spokes person has urged the nurses who do not want to go back for work to resign.
Citizen from all over the country are calling on the Republican President to intervene in the matter because a lot of people are losing their lives.