Latest Discovery 6 Vehicles For Health Services Board (HSB) Commissioners While Health Workers Are On Strike

Hospital Services Board(HSB) Commissioners reportedly got the latest model of Discovery 6 vehicles, while other health workers have downed their tools citing incapacitation and poor working conditions, New Zimbabwe reports.

This was revealed by HSB chairperson Paulinus Sikhosana in parliament yesterday as he was appearing before the Health and Child Care Parliamentary Portfolio who confirmed they got the cars as part of their benefits:

The vehicles that government issued to the HSB are Discovery 6. It is in the context that the HSB conditions of service for board members are standard for those of other commissioners. The vehicles were bought by central government and not by HSB.

If central government employs me on certain conditions, it needs to fulfil the obligations in order to retain me or other health workers. As a board which is an employer whose conditions of service are key to the Public Service, the previous boards had been allocated vehicles in 2012, so the government has legacy issues to allocate the vehicles

In response to Sikhosana’s declarations Binga North Legislator Prince Dubeko Sibanda said:

There is a general feeling among citizens and health workers that your board has become one of those commissions and boards that are not adding any value to services required in this country but just gobbling expenses

You indicated that you are powerless and you have become like a sponge which is used to deflect whatever aspirations in the sector have. Do you think the existence of your board is still necessary under the circumstances you have indicated?

Dr. Sikhosana you are presiding over a medical service that has become a source of medical ridicule. If you walk into a high school today, no child will want to train as a medical doctor because of what they are seeing. How then do you say you have done your best when this health sector is in such a situation?

While Entumbane-Emakhandeni MP Dingilizwe Tshuma asked about the ongoing health workers strike:

The negotiators are Harare-based, and can we have a lasting solution to the health sector remuneration challenges?

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