By Rudo Saungweme

Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo has urged all striking doctors to report for duty today following the 60 percent increase on Health Sector Specific Allowance by the Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel (HSBNP).

Dr Moyo said this yesterday in a statement in which he thanked the Doctors who remained committed on their posts delivering care to patients.

"Government is grateful to those doctors who remained on their post of duty delivering care, saving lives and alleviating suffering. For sake of saving lives of the patients, we now call on all doctors (Ministry of Health and University Consultants) to report to their posts of duty at 0800 hours on Monday the 7th of October, 2019.

"Those who fail to do so are reminded that they are in breach of their contracts of employment and will face disciplinary action," said the Minister.

Dr Moyo said that the 60 percent was an improvement of the 30 percent increment which was not accepted by the Health Apex Council.

However, the doctor's representatives are said to have walked out of the meeting as they preferred a higher percentage.

Dr Moyo said that the new allowance covers; Night duty allowance, Nurse Managers, On-call allowance, Special Health Allowance and a Standby/Call out Allowance.

Minister Moyo added that the increment is due to the changes in the prevailing economic environment.

"Their remuneration packages have been reviewed consistently in the context of the obtaining economic climate,” he said.