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Now UTH Hit By Drug Shortage, Strike Enters Day 5
AS THE nurses’ strike continues at Zambia’s largest hospital, University Teaching Hospital (UTH), and enters its fifth day, the institution is now hit by an artificial shortage of drugs for patients.
And Minister of Health Joseph Kasonde is expected to issue a comprehensive statement on the strike tomorrow.
Drugs are available but pharmacies where all drugs are stored have been closed by striking pharmacists.
Student nurses attending to patients at UTH, patients and their relatives revealed this to the Daily Mail in separate interviews in Lusaka yesterday.
The students, who complained of being overwhelmed with work, said drugs which pharmacists left before they went on strike ran out on Saturday.
One of the students, who did not want to be identified, said pharmacies at UTH were closed on Thursday, the day nurses and midwives started their strike.
“The work is too much for us. To make matters worse, there are no drugs to administer to our patients. The stocks which were left with us have run out,” he said.
He said students have now resorted to giving prescriptions to patients to buy drugs on their own.
Another student identified as John said after giving prescriptions to some patients yesterday, few minutes later, they returned saying there were no drugs in the pharmacy.
He advised them to go and buy the drugs elsewhere.
And another student said he was facing a hard time convincing patients that the institution has run out of drugs because they know that the hospital has enough medicines.
“They can’t believe what we are telling them but this is the reality on the ground. Something needs to be done immediately,” she said.
When contacted for a comment, UTH public relations manager Mwenya Mulenga said he has been advised not to issue any comment on the strike by nurses and midwives.
“Really, our hands are tied on the issue of nurses, pharmacists and midwives. There was a meeting this morning,” he said.
Posted by Editor (online)
on October 8, 2013. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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steven
October 8, 2013 at 6:40 am
september salaries were rily a joke for heath workers as compared to others.let them strike coz that was mokery.
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October 8, 2013 at 7:48 am
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Pa Zed
October 8, 2013 at 7:41 am
Student nurses prescribing medication ????
Keith
October 8, 2013 at 4:20 pm
IMAGINE?
katwishi mukwai
October 8, 2013 at 8:43 am
Pa Zed,awe naulanda.imagine ninshi naulwala.By the bushe bena tafolele ama arreas?Kwali bumper mu september.
tripoli
October 8, 2013 at 9:08 am
NURSES MUST GO BAK FO WORK THEIR JOB IS A DEDICATION TO SAVE LIVES FYABUPUBA FYE IFYO BALECHITA GOD WILL PUNISH THEM FOR THE SIN THEY ARE COMMITING TO LET PEOPLE DIE WHILE THEY AR SEATED OUTSIDE THE HOSPITALS PF PLEAS FIRE THESE IDIOTS WE HAVE MORE IN COLLEGES.
pope
October 8, 2013 at 10:02 am
grow up
wansanga pano
October 8, 2013 at 8:55 pm
uli cinangwa iwe!ukafwa ubwamba nabwima!
Synchronizer
October 8, 2013 at 9:12 am
viva Mr panadol and fansida balenya lelo balemwenako ba patient.
Midwife
October 8, 2013 at 9:53 am
Tripoli iwe swaini, nayapwisha 5 years ku skulu 2 become a midwife, i paid millions of kwacha’s for it and i put my health and life at risk when providing my services to mankind and u ko me an *****? Walitumpisha skankaba iwe. Yes let the PF fire us, bengishe ba noko ebo bese mukupapisha swaini iwe!
ABENA CHILE
October 8, 2013 at 8:08 pm
resign we will employee someone else. Nonsense!!!!!!!!
wansanga pano
October 8, 2013 at 8:59 pm
abena chile mwabe tako! mwafita mubongo!
kazeze
October 8, 2013 at 9:53 am
Are the student nurses working with doctors? Or are they prescribing drugs on their own?
Umwina Nswi
October 8, 2013 at 11:25 am
Ichi chena nachibipa sana. Next time Ba union representative Ba ZUNO bakaya for negotiations need to concentrate and critically analyse what they agree with the govt representatives. It’s shameful to accept conditions that disadvantage the professionals. Infact on moral grounds the ZUNO executive must resign. Our nurses, plz for the sake of so many lives affected by your genuine protest, resume your life saving work while you continue putting forward your demands. I know it’s not easy but for the sake of that life that can be prolonged due to your valuable presence, resume work. This is a plea and not a command. It is also my hope that the government will attend to your demands timely and will not resort to threats and intimidation when they know that what they did was nonsense. They need to respect life saving cadres. That is the trend globally.
wansanga pano
October 8, 2013 at 9:02 pm
umwina nswi, walanda bwino unlike these minions whio are insulting life serving profesionals! i personally will convey the message dear!thanks.
kamnovics
October 8, 2013 at 12:40 pm
pipo needs medicine then u lockup a pharmacy nd go protesting shame on u and whoever is supportin this
kolala
October 8, 2013 at 1:22 pm
Panyo pa ma nurses!which government paid u that much! koma ndimwe bo pusa a galu pa thako panuu po nunkha lekani nchito ka!
JH
October 8, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Umwina Nswi, you are very intelligent. Your analysis is excellent. As we appreciate harmonization, its also impotant 2 kno that certain cadres are key & very expensive 2 train them. Thats why even at unza,certain courses are more expensive.
wesu
October 8, 2013 at 1:28 pm
fire them, they have failed to understand simple english,tamumfwa.hamonising it is simple english to understand problem is the union leaders who failed to interprate this bwekeleni kumilimo ba under five
Soko J
October 8, 2013 at 1:57 pm
Tellin th govt 2 fire th nurses is by far a solution 2 ths. Us medical practitioners must b lookt afta vry we’ll by th govt. Ba nurse pliz I am an health inspector n I kno wat damage yo absence hs dan 2 Uth as an institution. Pliz twapapata go bak 4 work n save th innocent souls suffeRing n fightin 4 their poor lives. Ba govt or let me say iwe Sata resolve ths fast pipo r suffering whilst u r enjoyin ku state house. If only we had terrorists in zambian I wud surely join. It pains me a lot 2 see ati minister ifontini bathing in money while us th educated r suffering. Yo ways will catch up wit u
Uwakwamununga
October 8, 2013 at 2:13 pm
WANSEKESHA MIDWIFE! MAY YOUR PROBLEMS BE ATTENDED TO IN DUE COURSE.
James h
October 8, 2013 at 2:30 pm
ZUNO is foolish! Is it acceptable 4 a primary teacher 2 get more than a medical lab/pharmacy technologist?Do u train these cadres by distance? Infact these courses are more expensive.Can govt urge unza 2 hamonize fees & yrs too.
Abaakaaba!
October 8, 2013 at 4:29 pm
We put pf to end this problem and if they fail we will fire them period!
Kenny Mutale
October 8, 2013 at 6:35 pm
Nurses would like to see a reasonable wage difference between them and CDEs because of
education/academic achievements and not wage increment.Zambians,lets support this.
Again,as a known case that the DC is grabbing land in chama,the president should quickly appoint an indigenous as DC there to win there support.
ba katongo
October 8, 2013 at 7:02 pm
@james h, i agree wth u.let UNZA &aza colleges hamonize the sch fees&course duration.
ba katongo
October 8, 2013 at 7:03 pm
@james h, i agree wth u.let UNZA &aza colleges hamonize the sch fees,passing mark&course duration as well.
bwezani banda
October 8, 2013 at 7:27 pm
James, is the issue at hand btwn trs and nurses or nurses and CDES? Am confused. clarify mr james.
uwamano
October 8, 2013 at 8:01 pm
Nurses have failed to reason because they think they are the most important among civil servants.all govt employee are of great importance.why can’t you be fighting your battles silently while working like other civil servants do?should you be dragging the teaching fraternity in your unions weakness?twanaka nenu mr president fire them we have better qualified nurses in stock.
UTH Ward 4 Resident
October 8, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Ok, I understand the cry of the nurses, but please would you at the same time consider those of us whose daily survival depend on drugs. I beg the parties involved to solve this issue promptly and amicably. Remember, we are human beings just like you. We never made any applications to be here. PLEASE may someone help!!
stranded doctor
October 8, 2013 at 9:05 pm
To day school nurses are prescribing drugs but yesterday my drug store was closed for not employing a pharmacist now what is the point ?very dictatorial government so to say
chika
October 8, 2013 at 10:29 pm
ba kamba nimwe bo beni fye alaaaa