SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGIST ACCUSES UPND GOVT OF HEALTH SECTOR NEGLECT, AS VOLUNTEER DOCTORS THREATEN MASS WITHDRAWAL
By Michael Kaluba
Anthropologist Dr. James Musonda has criticized the UPND government alleging deliberate neglect of the health sector, accusing authorities of prioritizing political spending over the employment of essential healthcare workers.
Health Minister Elijah Muchima yesterday said volunteering is not a guarantee of employment and that the government currently has no funds to employ resident doctors who are volunteering in public hospitals, following an announcement that volunteer doctors would withdraw their services effective Monday 2nd June 2025.
Dr. Musonda believes that this statement undermines the role of resident doctors who continue to serve under difficult conditions without pay, saying it is inexcusable and arrogant for Health Minister Dr. Elijah Muchima to claim that volunteering as a doctor does not guarantee formal employment.
He says it is baffling that while the government claims it lacks the funds to recruit much-needed doctors, it continues to allocate resources to activities like the delimitation exercise, by-elections, and other political ventures.
Meanwhile, Robert Kapasa Makasa Financial Education Memorial Trust Director Finance and Administration, Emmanuel Kangwa, has challenged the government to prioritize those who volunteer as doctors during the next recruitment of health workers as opposed to dismissing their efforts.
PHOENIX NEWS
(The picture below is for illustration purpose)