Gutu nurse aides cry foul
THE Nurse Aides Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) has raised concern over alleged gross abuse of nurse aides at Gutu Mission Hospital in Masvingo province.
According to reports, the nurse aides were being forced to work outside their normal responsibilities.
NAAZ president Sekai Watungira said following an outcry from the nurse aides at the hospital, he paid a visit to the facility, where the members were moping dirty toilets, cooking for tutors at the school of nursing and fetching water, among other duties.
“The nurse aides are forced to mop all wards, offices, clean toilets and bathrooms. They are also required to fetch water and are being denied an opportunity to do short courses to enhance themselves,” Watungira said.
“All the chores that I mentioned are being done by nurse aides while general hands are seated comfortably in offices and doing other soft and light duties,” he said.
According to Watungira, the standard job description says a nurse aide should perform clinical duties near the patient.
“It is not even healthy for the patient to be given food or attended to by a person who is also cleaning public toilets while wearing the same uniform,” he said, adding that the nurse aides were being treated like slaves.
There are also allegations of rampant corruption, especially when it comes to recruitment and filling of posts at the hospital.
A nurse aide at the mission hospital, who refused to be named for fear of victimisation, said some posts which fell vacant were not being advertised as was the norm.
“As an association, we will take the matter to the (Health) ministry and Zacc [Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission] to investigate the issues raised at a mission hospital,”Watangira said.
Gutu Mission Hospital matron Ndakaresvei Gwasvava said he could not discuss the issue over the phone.
“I cannot respond to you over the phone because there are a number of issues that I would want to clarify and also give the human resources department a chance to explain,” Gwasvava said.
Nurse aides remain the backbone of the health delivery system in the country, both in the public and private sectors.
However, they are often not recognised and are poorly paid.
When nurses and doctors go on strike, nurse aides hold the fort and keep health facilities open.
Last year in October, NAAZ flagged the poor salaries and allowances paid out to nurse aides.
“Our employer does not recognise us as an important tool in the health sector. As we speak, nurse aides have no benefits from the ministry, no medical aid allowance, and no donor benefits regardless of working close to patients,”Watungira said.
Because of the low salaries, nurse aides are leaving the country in droves to seek relief in countries like the United Kingdom, where their services are in high demand.