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RVF patients die as nurses strike
2007-04-24 10:11:23
By Privatus Lipili, Dodoma
Five people are alleged to have died since weekend after nurses attending Rift Valley Fever patients laid down their tools at Dodoma Regional Hospital. They are pressing for payment of hardship allowance.
When this reporter visited the hospital at around 10.00 in the morning yesterday, he saw nurses seated inside the training rooms as they waited for the Regional Medical Officer, while the sick lay unattended.
One of the nurses who talked to The Guardian said she was sad that things had gone that far.
“The hospital management does not value our contribution. It has refused to pay our hardship allowances, which we are entitled since the outbreak of Rift Valley Fever on February 13 this year,” she said.
`We don`t normally strike, but this lady (the RMO Frida Mokiti) is turning us into slaves because she does not care about our welfare. We have moved out of the wards since 7.00am this morning to await a decision by the management,` said the nurse.
Another nurse said the strike resulted from harassment and mockery on their academic qualifications, which was repeated each now and then whenever they demanded for the allowances.
The management is said to have issued the nurses with payment vouchers after being pressed, which they were supposed to sign and return to Regional Health Officer Dr. Edward Ganja.
`The management promised to send our forms to the Regional Administrative Officer so that they could process our payment,` said the nurse.
The TUGHE secretary at the hospital, Simon Boi, said unnecessary bureaucracy had led to the strike.
`The money has been allocated for some time now but unnecessary bureaucracy has caused the delay. There were plans to include undeserving nurses in the payment list,` said Boi.
Boi said there was still a number of unresolved issues. He insisted that payment would be ready within the next three days.
Asked to comment about the strike, Regional Medical Officer, Frida Mokiti, replied: `Didn`t you hear there was a meeting?
Ask them (the nurses). They will answer your questions and not me,` she said.
Three RVF patients admitted to the hospital died on Sunday and two more died yesterday as nurses continued with their strike.
This brings the death toll so far to 94 since the RVF outbreak occurred early this year.
The number is inclusive of statistics read by the Prime Minister Edward Lowassa while adjourning Parliament on Friday.
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