Nurse exodus at Colliery hospital

FIFTEEN nurses at the Hwange Colliery Company Hospital, the biggest hospital in Matabeleland North, have resigned following a misunderstanding over living conditions and remuneration, leaving the institution incapacitated, Sunday News can reveal.

Sources at the hospital said the nurses left the hospital last week after a misunderstanding with the management over pay and accommodation issues.

Matabeleland North provincial medical director Dr Nyasha Masuka confirmed the development.

“There are about 15 nurses who have resigned from the hospital, they are resisting moving to new premises that have been allocated to them outside the hospital. All along they have been staying for free, they paid no electricity or water and were also being fed. We then said they have to move to new accommodation allocated for them but they are resisting and have decided to leave the hospital,” said Dr Masuka.

He said the nurses were not forced to leave but left on their own accord.

According to a source who declined to be named, the nurses were trained by the hospital and were staying at the institution free of charge.

“These nurses were staying here at no cost, they were also provided with meals as they were not getting their salaries so it was a bit better that they were getting accommodation and meals. But the hospital then told them to leave saying new trainees should come in, that is when the trouble began,” he said.

The hospital management is alleged to have told them to vacate the hospital premises and go and stay in houses allocated to them by Hwange Colliery Company so that new trainees be accommodated and the nurses refused to comply.

“These ‘senior’ nurses do not want to go and stay outside and accommodate others, instead they want to remain staying at the hospital for free,” added the source.

One nurse who was affected said. “We have no beds, curtains, blankets, stoves or equipment to use, so how do we? Even if we move to the houses outside the hospital what do we eat when we have no salary that can enable us to buy food? Their proposal makes little sense,” she said.

Another nurse who was affected said: “We were asked to relocate to Number 2 (Madumabisa) and 3 (Makwika) where alternative accommodation was arranged. We were promised hospital beds and curtains so that we start living there but we demanded some money as we would fend for ourselves.”

Hwange Colliery has not been paying its workers salaries and the company has been having problems with its workers over the issue.

The company owes its $45 million in salary arrears. workers more than