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Doctors’ reinstatement hits snag
2005-11-28 08:07:26
By Judica Tarimo
The status of Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) doctors who on Friday renounced their strike and opted to return to work is in abeyance following a breakdown in communication between the government and the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT), which brokered a settlement in the stand off.
Consequently, the doctors will only know their fate this week after MAT meets the Ministry of Health officials to work out a return to work formula.
The Guardian established yesterday that there have been frantic efforts by MAT since Friday evening to reach out to the government after the doctors resolved to resume work pending further negotiations to improve their perks.
MAT resolved at its extra-ordinary general meeting that went late into the night that the sacked doctors should be reinstated unconditionally, among other things.
A daylong meeting also called for further negotiations between the government and the medics on salary increment.
The government was also asked to rescind its decision to cancel sponsorship to postgraduate medical students.
An on-spot check by The Gurdian found stand-in doctors deployed at the hospital from the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), Health Ministry, Medical Institute for Medical Research and other public institutions at work.
A worker who declined to give his name told The Guardian at the hospital that the doctors had not resumed work as the government has not been furnished with details of the MAT crisis meeting that resolved late on Friday to bring both parties to the negotiating table.
’I can only see army doctors around. The dismissed doctors have not resumed work. I haven’t seen any of them,’ said the worker.
Vicent Mdahila, a relative of a patient admitted to the hospital said services were still slow despite the presence of doctors from government institutions and departments.
’There is some kind of a go-slow by the doctors and other medics, whose colleagues had been sacked. Generally, the situation is not normal as one would expect,’said Mdahila.
A special committee formed by MAT is today expected to start fresh negotiations with the government that will pave the way for the doctors’ reinstatement.
’The committee will follow up the issue with the government through the Ministry of Health,’ MAT president, Dr Joseph Kahamba, said at the end of the meeting.
Issues top of the agenda include reinstatement of the doctors, salary increment and reinstatement of government scholarships to postgraduate medical students.
The government was quoted by a section of the media saying MAT was to blame for the impasse, as it had remained silent since the saga began two weeks ago.
’MAT’s intervention is too late. The government’s position remains the same,’ Deputy Health Minister, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, was quoted as saying.
He said the period set by the government for the doctors to resume work had already expired. The minister said the doctors who want to return to work would have to apply afresh.
It is still not clear whether this week’s negotiations for the reinstatement of doctors between the government and doctors’ committee will bear fruit.
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