Doctors Remain Unemployed Despite Pandemic Stresses

As Covid-19 figures slowly rise beyond 1,000 deaths and are close to reaching 85,000 cases, you would assume that doctors within the country are in short supply in a bid to support the effort against the pandemic. 

However, this is far from the truth within Zambia, where over 400 hundred doctors are currently unemployed. 

Promises from the government in April last year looked encouraging: to employ 400 doctors and 3,000 paramedics to speed up the country’s response to Covid-19. Almost a year later such promises are yet to come into fruition. 

Frustrated at the situation they find themselves in, a number of medical doctors and dental surgeons held a peaceful protest at the Ministry of Health Headquarters yesterday. Dr Kennedy Malama, Ministry of Health permanent secretary for technical services, responded to the protest by urging patience for those seeking employment in the health sector, offering them reassurance that the recruitment of health workers was a “priority” to government.

In spite of 24,480 health workers being employed since 2017, according to Dr Malama, it would be fair to question the types of healthcare professionals included within these figures, as well as their use within the healthcare system, with the World Health Organisation reporting only last year that there was only 1 doctor for every 12,000 patients.

The importance of doctors within the country is not only necessary to stay on top of efforts against Covid-19 but also to provide ongoing support with additional health problems the country faces, such as HIV/AIDS and Malaria, to support an increase in life expectancy within Zambia.