Is it wrong to seek our dues, resident doctors ask Lungu
THE Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) have written to President Edgar Lungu asking if it is wrong for them to ask for their dues they have worked for.
The Doctors have further asked President Edgar Lungu to intervene and have Dr. Mukuka Chikonde released from police cells.
Dr. Chikonde was arrested Sunday at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital in Ndola and he is currently in custody at Ndola Central Police.
This is according to a letter dated May 30, 2021 and signed RDAZ vice-president by Dr. Kenly Chisanga.
“We as the RDAZ NEC have been having consultative meetings with the RDAZ Membership over the plight that the doctors have been under for a very long time. Doctors have not been paid salary arrears, settling in allowances, gratuities, there have not been promotions as senior doctors have been occupying junior doctors’ positions for many years and lack of employment for the more than 500 doctors who have been roaming the streets for about a year now. Over the past few weeks we have engaged with the Ministry of Health into several negotiations which have proved futile. There have been several past RDAZ NECs that had the same negotiations with MOH but yielded no results,” the letter read in part.
“Your Excellency The President Edgar Chagwa Lungu if we may pose a question to you sir, is it wrong for us to stand up and ask for what we have rightfully worked for, for something that rightfully belongs to us? We are not asking for anything out of the ordinary. What we are asking for is what is owed to us. Your Excellency money has been owed to the doctors as far back as 2010. As each year passes by the value of the money owed keeps on depreciating. Through the years there have been other doctors who have passed away without getting what is owed to them.”
Dr. Chisanga has demanded that Dr. Chikonde be released unconditionally.
“This afternoon it was brought to our attention that one of the RDAZ Members Dr. Mukula Chikonde has been captured in Ndola by the police and is currently being transferred to Lusaka Police Headquarters. We have tirelessly tried the negotiation route with MOH but it has not yielded any fruits. We are earnestly writing to you sir for your prompt intervention in this matter so that the please and cries of the doctors are met.”
Credit: Daily Star Zambia
