Mzuzu Health Centre workers go on strike: Lives of over 600 patients at risk
Employees at the Mzuzu Health Centre in the Northern Region City of Mzuzu Tuesday morning started a peaceful sit-in protesting against delays of their June salaries.
By Tuesday lunch hour, the workers at the public health facility had not yet been paid their June salaries and management is yet to brief them on the cause of the delay.
According to one of the striking workers who spoke on condition of anonymity, the members of staff generally at the health facility generally receive their salaries by 28th of each month.
“What is more painful is that management is not even updating us on why there is such a delay. We have families and we need to pay rents and the absence of the updates makes things even worse,” explained the government employee.
A visit to the health center by Nyasa Times on Tuesday morning saw scores of patients waiting hopelessly to be assisted by the disgruntled workers, who appeared carefree and most of them in uniform as they basked in the sun.
The strike has put at risk the lives of over 600 patients suffering from various illnesses as no member of staff has been helping the patients since Tuesday morning.
According to information sourced at the health center, the facility assists over 200 patients at the adult out-patients department, 300 at under-five and about 100 at the Ant-natal section on daily basis.
Efforts to speak to Mzimba North District Health Officer, Dr Collins Mitambo, over the striking workers’ issue proved futile as his phone could not be picked.
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