FREDRICK Herzberg in 1959 came up with a two-factor theory of motivation which carries both hygiene and motivators. Hygiene factors such as salaries and supervision increase employee’s dissatisfaction with the work environment while motivators such as recognition and achievement make workers more productive, creative and committed.
Zimbabwe’s health delivery service is made up of both private and public health practitioners who strive to deliver the best medical services to the public. Public-private partnerships have also worked positively to benefit the nation at a time when the public health delivery service is dwindling because of poor resources, brain drain, obsolete equipment and a general hostile economic environment.
The turmoil in the health sector emanates from unfulfilled promises and lack of recognition where it matters most. Zimbabwe is full of resources that can finance a lot of activities with propitious benefits to the citizenry.
COVID-19 caused untold suffering in our country since March 20, 2020 when the index case was identified in Zimbabwe. Both public and private practitioners stood tall in curbing the heinous virus and the country has so far registered about 5 685 deaths. Although the country lost even prominent people to the diabolical virus, we applaud everyone for standing firm to reduce both morbidity and mortality.
Medical professionals became heroes in the country amid scanty resources and demotivation. At least 4 500 health workers have deserted the country in search of greener pastures, with the United Kingdom being the biggest beneficiary of the brain drain. If the current mass exodus of health workers continues unabated, sooner than later the country will face a very serious shortage of experienced workers.
Why does the country have perennial issues of worker migration that threaten to tear our health delivery service apart?
I don't think medical practitioners would leave their country if they were given what they deserve. The country has many officers who turn a blind eye on important people who should be driving the country forward from all facets of life. In the year 2021, medical practitioners under the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe applied for agricultural land via President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The President saw it fit to grant the request by writing to the Lands ministry which subsequently wrote to the respective Provincial Affairs ministers. The process began losing momentum in the hands of Provincial Affairs ministers save for Mashonaland East and Masvingo. Mashonaland Central was the least co-operative of the provinces with one arrogant director in the minister’s office clearly saying there was no land for medical practitioners. Mashonaland West promised to give an update, but two years down the line, the silence resembles a newly-built mortuary. It was our understanding that once the head of State approves something, subordinates were supposed to co-operate. The President should know how much the medical practitioners are disgruntled today because of the insolence of the provincial officers who are clearly undermining his good efforts. Is it not sabotage then when the First Citizen’s directives are ignored by the people he appointed? It is embarrassing that only less than 5% of the practitioners accessed land. It is an open secret that one has to grease district and provincial land officers in order to get a piece of land.
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Medical practitioners have been clamouring for duty-free vehicle imports for long which can come as one vehicle in five years. Nothing has come out of the request for all these years. Does it mean that the Finance ministry will lose a lot from that simple rebate? What is lacking is political will. If our medical practitioners get such simple privileges, I don't think there would be such unprecedented brain drain.
Civil servants have long been promised vehicle and housing loans. With the meagre salaries they are getting, many of them are mere tenants who cannot afford to rent more than two rooms. We have vast pieces of State land in Zimbabwe which can be serviced for residential purposes. Land barons are grabbing the same land and dish it out at worrisome prices with some doing double allocation because of the diabolical love for money. The land barons are very pompous, exhibiting supercilious behaviour. This is very unfortunate, embarrassing and gut-wrenching to say the least.
Everyone should appreciate that the greatest asset of any organisation is the human resource. A disgruntled workforce is like a hamstrung lion that cannot pursue its prey. The President should be kept abreast of what is transpiring on the ground lest the country continues to lose experienced health workers.
