MEDICAL doctors are pushing for an independent regulatory body that has no links to the government, similar to the lawyers’ Law Society of Zimbabwe.
This emerged during discussions on the proposed amendments to the Health Professions Act, with doctors insisting that the move will ensure high professionalism in the health sector.
The meetings were convened by the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the Southern Africa Parliamentary Support Trust, the College of Primary Care Physicians of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians and the Zimbabwe Medical Association.
Doctors and nurses attended the meetings, which were held in Harare, Gweru and Bulawayo recently.
The doctors argue that they do not want government interference with the activities of the Health Professions Council institutions.
They also disapprove of the amendment of Section 26, which proposes the closure of health facilities for non-payment of subscriptions, which they said infringed on the right to health.
They have also expressed concern over the late issuance of practising certificates by the authorities after payment of subscriptions, insisting that the regulatory authority should issue certificates within seven days.
The doctors also argued that the amendment of Section 30 forces them to do research.
- Doctors thumb nose at Health Bill
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They argued that research should be optional and be pursued by those who wish to be academic and those who want to work should not be subjected to forced research.
“[There] is an attempt by government to take control of Health Professions Council institutions, particularly the finances of the councils,” they claimed.
“The fees that the different councils are charging are also exorbitant and do not match the service that members get as they sometimes get their practising certificates towards the end of the year [yet] they would have paid subscriptions beginning of each year.
“Rather than the soft language proposed, there should be a closer look into the running of the funds of each council and accountability mechanisms to the members ... there is ambiguity because of the terminology that was used ... the use of non-financial terms like evaluate and act upon is ambiguous and leaves room for nefarious activities happening.”
The medical professionals also shot down the proposal to rename the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe to Nurses and Midwives Council of Zimbabwe, arguing that there were other categories of nurses other than midwives, so the name should represent all the categories.
The health professionals, who proposed a rotational system for the presidency of the Health Professions Council, also pointed out: “The clause on appeals implies that the decision of the (Health Professions) council will stand until an appeal is heard ...under normal circumstances, an appeal should suspend the decisions made until the matter is heard.
“The clause in its current form violates principles of natural justice as well as rights of citizens as enshrined in the Constitution. Since legislation can sometimes be used for social engineering, members noted that the clause may be used politically and deny justice to health professionals.”
The health professional complained of “multiple registrations required by government, which costs money and time”.
There is need to harmonise registrations as part of the ease of doing business,” they said.
Another bone of contention the doctors expressed concern about is government’s ban on job actions lasting more than three days at a time when the health sector is saddled with a myriad of challenges, among them poor remuneration and working conditions.
The doctors described the Amendment Bill as “neither democratic nor consultative”, with the nurses weighing in saying that public health sector workers “are now disadvantaged in several ways because they have no right to strike and they cannot engage in collective bargaining”.
Also under the new law, worker representatives who are charged with inciting nurses and doctors to unlawfully down tools could be jailed for three years which authorities argue is necessary to “instil discipline” in the health sector.
