Nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital have begun a three-day strike, withdrawing services from hospital wards as pressure mounts over salaries and working conditions.
The industrial action comes amid growing discontent within the sector, with the Zimbabwe Nurses Association backing calls for improved remuneration, saying current earnings no longer match the rising cost of living.
Nurses gathered at the hospital signalling the start of the strike after what they described as prolonged but unproductive engagements with their employer.
Chairperson of the nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, Matthew Musiyarira, said the decision to withdraw labour followed repeated failed attempts to resolve their grievances.
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“We will not be reporting for duty in hospital wards from today until our three-day strike concludes, as we await a response from Government,” he said.
Nurses said they had made several efforts to engage authorities, but nothing meaningful had come out of the discussions, leaving them with little option but to escalate their action.
They said low incomes, worsening working conditions and economic pressures had pushed many health workers to the brink, raising concerns about staff morale and retention in public health institutions.
The strike is expected to disrupt services at one of Zimbabwe’s major referral hospitals, with patients likely to feel the immediate impact as wards operate with reduced staffing.
The Zimbabwe Nurses Association has previously warned that failure to address welfare concerns could lead to further industrial action across the sector, as calls intensify for sustainable solutions to stabilise the country’s healthcare system.
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