Striking doctors in Tanzania attracts attention

Posted on | februari 1, 2012 | 2 Comments

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda

The ongoing doctors’ strike in Tanzania has been cited as a problem of lacking negotiation techniques on the two parts the Government on one side and doctors on the other.

But even more is the fact that the strike is just a reflection of how Tanzanians at large are dissatisfied with how things are run in their country. Commenting on conditions of anonymity a specialist at the Muhimbili National Hospital said that the strike was just one indication of the worse that are to come in Tanzania.

He challenged the Government that it failed to treat with dignity the internees after the first commotion had started. “How can you call interns students? These are contracted doctors, this is where the Government started to go wrong,” said the doctor.

He said this is what caused the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT), to intervene he charged that strange enough was the fact that while people were dying at the major hospitals as a result of the strike President Jakaya Kikwete has assented the increment of allowances to Members of Parliament from Tshs 70,000 (equivalent of USD 43.7 in a day) to Tshs 200,000 (equivalent of USD 125 in a day) amid a wide cry from the general public.

Moreover he criticized the Goverement’s decision to transfer 61 specialist doctors which was a sin of flexing muscles against the presumably ‘errant’ doctors.
This reporter had an opportunity to interview workers at the centre where negotiations skills are taught. All commentators said that what they said were just their personal opinions and not official position of their institution.

So at the centre for Mozambique-Tanzania Centre for Foreign Relations (CFR), in Dar es Salaam was Ms Simwana Said a lecturer in negotiations who said that the strike could not have gone out of bound if the Government could have read the moods of doctors from the outset.

She said that there indications that the whole ordeal was underestimated just to realize its impact after people had started to die in hospitals. However she advises that regardless of this weakness from the side of the Government, doctors could have accepted to go back at a round table for a negotiated solution.

“As long as the Government had realized its mistakes, doctors could have given negotiation a second chance in order to rescue poor Tanzanians who have no means for expensive treatment from the private hospitals,” she concluded.

But Dr Kitojo Wetengere an economist at the same institution said that this problem should not be seen in isolation but as a reflection of dissatisfaction by many Tanzanians of how classes are emerging in the society due to unequal distribution of resources.

He charged that of recent many people have turned out to lose trust to politicians who are seen as highly paid as it can be explained through the increment of allowances to legislators at the time when people were talking of rescuing patients.

Sympathizing with doctors he commented “It was imminent to react in a way that they did, doctors have been neglected for quite sometime, I think this strike was their last resort,” he said.

He suggested that the Goernment make a thorough check on their problems and if possible it should amend changes in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. He reminded that until most recently there were problems at the Institute of Social Welfare which also belong to the same ministry.

“It is very unfortunate that in many cases strikes can work out if people have sound financial means, in this case doctors are running in difficult situations to the extent that it is easy to break away their strike, but otherwise the Governmen should take a rational approach through negotiation with them,” he concluded.

Dr Charles Bekoni also from the CFR said that before one comments there was a need to look at many factors surrounding the strike. For instance, availability of financial resources to meet the required demands, repercussions of such increments to other sectors, and whether this will not fuel similar reactions of demanding increment through strikes.

However he challenged doctors to equip themselves with negotiation skills well in advance before they go into a strike or a negotiation process. Dr Bekoni says doctors and the Government can attain a win-win situation if they give concession to each other, and if doctors are motivated.

He criticizes the approach of forcing them back to work without ensuring whether they will perform dutifully once back at their working stations. “The question here is not reporting or signing an attendance book, but working diligently,” he concluded.

Mosses Isack and Idd Mohamed also from the CFR argued along the same lines. Jumanne Njige a worker with Vodacom Tanzania said he supports fully the doctors but theirs is a sensitive job dealing with the lives of the people directly.

AUTHOR: Elias Mhegera
URL: http://mhegeraelias.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: mhegeraelias [at] yahoo.com

Comments

2 Responses to “Striking doctors in Tanzania attracts attention”

  1. karim
    februari 1st, 2012 @ 12:18

    YES PAY ALL THE MONEY RETURNED FROM RADAR TO DOCTORS AN ALL THE HOSPITAL AN FOR ALL EQUIPMENTS.

  2. Elias Mhegera
    februari 2nd, 2012 @ 14:25

    thank you Karim

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