Doctors to vote on strike action - if the situation does not demand it then nothing will.

“Zimbabwe's doctors are voting on whether or not to stage a full-fledged strike, over salaries. Doctors started casting their vote yesterday, with the majority said to be in favour of a strike,” reported Bulawayo24.

The economic mess in Zimbabwe has reached crisis point and beyond, if doctors do not go on strike over this then one is compelled to ask what else has to happen to finally push these doctors out of the white-coat complacence!

It is typical Zimbabwean mentality to always go out of one’s way to avoid taking decisive action even when the situation demands decisive action, in the vain hope that the situation will cure itself without our intervention. All Zimbabwean workers, unemployed, students, everyone should have been out on the streets years ago to demand action over the country’s decades of economic collapse and yet the whole nation has chosen to sit back and watch what happens!

Something has happened, true enough; everything has got progressively worse and worse, year after year! Unemployment has soared to 90% plus; the few lucky enough to still have a job like the doctors are so poorly paid many have left their jobs and the country; hospitals are so poorly funded they have no drugs; hospitals and homes have no clean running water; 18 out of 24 hours power cuts are the norm; etc.; etc.

This regime has ears but has not been listening; it has eyes but has failed to perceive anything. The country’s economic problems are a result of decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption; the chickens in their billions like red-billed quelea have finally come home to roost. It is the duty of every citizen to ensure those in power listen and take appropriate action to address problems before they get out of hand.

Mismanagement and corruption are man-made problems and therefore within the powers of the people to solve. If the people had been more diligent then these economic problems would have never got out of hand. Sitting at home and doing nothing has clearly failed to draw the regime’s attention; if the only way to get this regime’s attention is going on strike then so be it!

Today Zimbabwe's economic situation has gone beyond crisis point, it is socially and politically unsustainable, and per se demands that immediate action is taken to draw the regime's attention to this reality. Strike action is no longer an option, it is the only choice.

Twenty years ago when Zimbabwe’s economy showed all the signs of slowing under the strain of mismanagement and corruption and the people elected to do nothing it was the equivalent a doctor giving a patient with a broken leg painkillers and send him back home - it relieved the pain but will not fix the broken leg! The punched wound even showed signs of healing although the patient continued to complain of pain and thus never stopped taking the painkillers.

Today the patient is back, the leg wound has ruptured to reveal the reason why the patient had need the painkillers; the wound was healing on the outside whilst deep inside the rot continued. Gangrene has set in. With diligent attention the leg would have been saved, now there is nothing for it but to amputate.

For the doctors to vote not to go on strike is no different from the doctor who failed to treat the broken leg properly and allowing the gangrene to set in giving the patient painkillers once again; if that is not professional negligence, then I do not know what is! The economic situation demands strike action; if not then please tell me what else has to happen to warrant strike action!?

Zimbabwe’s political and economic situation is man-made and it is the responsibility of all Zimbabweans, doctors and nurses, workers and vendors, everyone to demand that this Zanu PF regime attends to the worsening national crisis before it is too late. If going on strike can stop the complete collapse of our health system then sure the strike is long overdue because our health system is already in ICU right now!