The workers are disgruntled over non-payment of their salaries for the past three months and the labour dispute has spilled into the courts. In spite of the strike being deemed illegal, council employees declared all clinics no-go areas.
However, critical staff returned to work at the weekend and the clinics have been reopened. Sheila Tivarange (28) from Chirasavana rural area in Seke panicked when she arrived at Seke South Clinic and found the gates locked.
“We arrived at the clinic around 12 midnight on Monday and found the gates locked,” she said. “The security guard manning the clinic told us to go to Chitungwiza referral hospital.” Tivarange’ s husband, Deren Paswani, said the closure of the local clinics proved costly.
“I paid $15 for transport to the hospital after realising that my wife was about to deliver at the gate,” he said. A health official from Chitungwiza central hospital who declined to be named confirmed that there was an influx of pregnant women following the closure of the clinics.
“The labour ward was overwhelmed with the influx of pregnant women,” she said. “Mothers who had delivered were sent home early to make way for those in need of hospital services.”
Post published in: News