The
nurses
say
they
are
“earning
peanuts”
while
the
cost
of
living
continues
to
rise.
They
are
pushing
for
a
transport
allowance,
warning
that
getting
to
work
has
become
a
daily
struggle,
and
have
rejected
Public
Service
Commission
(PSC)
buses,
saying
they
do
not
align
with
their
shift
patterns.
They
are
also
calling
for
free
medical
care
at
public
hospitals,
arguing
they
can
no
longer
afford
treatment
themselves,
as
well
as
an
urgent
review
of
housing
allowances
amid
rising
rental
costs.
Even
uniforms
have
become
a
point
of
concern,
with
nurses
saying
worn
and
scruffy
attire
reflects
a
system
under
strain
rather
than
a
lack
of
professionalism.
The
strike
comes
just
days
after
nurses
at
Sally
Mugabe
Central
Hospital,
formerly
Harare
Hospital,
briefly
downed
tools
on
Friday
over
low
pay,
saying
their
salaries
no
longer
cover
basic
living
costs
following
a
sharp
rise
in
fuel
prices.
At
the
time,
nurses
held
placards
and
sang
outside
the
hospital
as
they
called
for
salary
adjustments
in
line
with
the
rising
cost
of
living.
Nurses
in
Zimbabwe
currently
earn
around
US$450
a
month,
paid
in
a
mix
of
United
States
dollars
and
ZiG.