Healthcare professionals, encompassing nurses and doctors, have declared their intention to initiate a two-day strike beginning Thursday due to dissatisfaction with their wages.

This decision comes after issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to the government on Monday, urging action to ameliorate their worsening conditions.

Zimbabwean nurses, grappling with various challenges stemming from the nation’s economic and political landscape, find themselves earning approximately US$10 when converting their salaries at the government’s interbank rate.

In a statement by the Health Apex team, a coalition of labor unions representing healthcare workers, it was emphasized that repeated appeals to the authorities regarding the dire situation of health workers have gone unanswered.

The notification from the Health Apex team highlights the significant issues facing health workers, including stagnant health sector allowances, meager basic salaries, and inadequate housing and transport benefits, which now amount to less than US$10 combined at the current interbank rate.

The formal notice, issued for a collective job action in accordance with relevant legislation, spans from Monday, February 26, 2024, to Wednesday, February 28, 2024. The strike is set to commence on Thursday, February 29, 2024, and conclude on Saturday, March 2, 2024, should the grievances remain unaddressed.

Over the past decade, a considerable number of healthcare professionals have sought opportunities abroad in Europe, America, New Zealand, and Australia, citing the tumultuous economic conditions in Zimbabwe.