Nurses at Sally Mugabe Hospital, formally Harare Hospital, downed tools in protest over the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) after a senior nurse died of Covid-19.
According to a report by Zim Morning Post, the untimely death of matron Miriam Mupindu who died of Covid-19 on Thursday fueled the protests.
The nurses gave the government an ultimatum that they will only return to work after their demands have been met.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association official Samson Gurupira confirmed the development saying:
Look here, we are frontline workers and have high exposure to the pandemic so we need adequate PPE.
These midwives were only given face masks and plastic aprons and it is inadequate.
What made them panic is the death of the matron today. She was in charge of the whole department this last Sunday and contracted Covid 19 resulting in her death this morning (Thursday),.
So what we are basically saying is we will sit outside until we are provided with adequate PPE, he said.
Principal nursing Officer Lucy Godzongere tried to dismiss the resolute nurses by aggressively threatening them.
What’s the fuss about?” she said. “Mukuda kuonererwa (you think you’re special cases), she said
A nurse who spoke to Zim Live on condition of anonymity said the Hospital’s management instructed doctors not to reveal Covid-19 results to nurses.
Even if we go for PCR testing, you won’t get the results and a junior doctor who is conducting the tests is instructed not to give us the results. I’m feeling the symptoms myself but I’m told to report to work because they’re saying who else will do the work, one nurse said.
