Hon. Binwell Mpundu MP writes….
WE NEED TO END THE EXPLOITATION OF OUR HEALTH WORKERS.
Fellow Citizens,
The treatment of Zambia’s volunteer doctors by the UPND government is an affront to justice, decency and the very values on which our Republic was founded. For years, young professionals have been encouraged to volunteer on the explicit and implicit understanding that this sacrifice would form a credible pathway to employment.
Instead, government has been hiding behind the label of “volunteerism” to deny them the rights, security and dignity that every worker deserves.
No responsible administration can justify a situation in which over one thousand doctors are holding up our public health system without pay, without formal protection and without a clear roadmap to absorption into the civil service. This is not patriotism by government; it is exploitation of the health worker’s patriotism.
This crisis extends beyond our volunteer doctors. Nurses, clinical officers, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, and all other health professionals who have given their labour in good faith deserve the same commitment to fair employment and labour protection. Whether they wear a stethoscope or work in a laboratory, every health worker who volunteers their expertise to serve Zambia’s citizens must have absolute confidence that their contribution will be honoured with dignified employment terms, competitive compensation, and full protection under our labour laws. The exploitation of volunteer labour across the entire health sector is a systemic failure that undermines both our healthcare system and our national integrity.
Under our leadership as the Movement for Good Governance #ichabaice there will be clear, codified pathways from internship and volunteering into fair, transparent recruitment for all health professions. Any Zambian who gives their skills to the nation will do so within a framework that recognises their value, offers predictable progression and guarantees all rights due to an employee under our laws.
We will not preoccupy ourselves with amending constitutions such as the infamous Bill 7 just to create Jobs for Politicians but instead we will harness those scarce national resources that will be paid to politicians to employ these health professional who are holding together the health systems.
The Movement for Good Governance stands with the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia and with every health worker whose goodwill has been abused. This practice must end, and dignity must be restored to those who care for our people.
BINWELL MPUNDU
NKANA MP
Leader of THE MOVEMENT FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE.