Don’t abuse doctors, warns ZMA

THE Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) has condemned public abuse of medical doctors in the workplace.

This follows a video that has gone viral showing a patient disparaging medical officers at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTHs), casualty and emergency area. ZMA secretary general, Dr Masiku Phiri said the association was aware of the unfortunate incident and commended its members for the exceptional professionalism exhibited in the face of immeasurable provocation. “Yours is a calling and ethical vocation, but you are human too and we know to what extent you went to hold your ground. ZMA is immensely proud of you,” Dr Phiri said. He said the association had launched its own investigation into the matter at hand in order to establish facts. In the meantime, he said, we would like to reassure the victims that should the alleged offender be found wanting, ZMA will use all of its available resources to make an example out of him by exhausting all legal channels, with ZMA bearing all costs. “Additionally, we are aware that there was presence of Police officers at the scene with multiple witnesses and so are hopeful that a criminal case has been opened against the aggressor,” Dr Phiri said. Dr Phiri said it was saddening to note that at a time when health practioners were deep in the mud fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, they were verbally abused by the patients. “At a time when over 40 Medical Doctors have contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty and are currently under quarantine, doctors are battling depression and mental illness because of what they have witnessed at the battlefront in the war against corona virus, at a time where healthcare workers have been working tirelessly since the outbreak began in March, the last thing we would expect is verbal abuse at the hands of a state agent,” he said.