Health Services Amendment Bill: Second Reading Speech
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMETNARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to present the Second Reading speech on behalf of the Hon. Vice President who is also the Minister of Health on the Health Services Amendment Bill. I am pleased to bring you a Bill that is very important for the better delivery of Public Health Services, it will amend the Health Services Act to bring it into line with the Constitution and improve the conditions of health service workers. Let me remind you that Section 29(I) of the Constitution says that and I quote “The State must take all practical measures to ensure the provision of basic accessible and adequate health services throughout Zimbabwe”. The Health Service Board was created by the Health Services Act in 2005. It was supposed to fix the minimum conditions of service of health workers and health service standards at Government hospitals throughout the country. Under that Act each Government hospital had its own hospital management board which could hire and fire staff including professional staff. Now we have noticed that there is too much surrendering of responsibility by the board to the hospital management boards and too little coordination between them.
This led to lack of uniformity of conditions of service among public health workers and to cares in the public health delivery system. By this Bill, we propose to change the health service board into a Health Service Commission with similar functions to the Public Service Commission. When this Bill becomes law; no staff can be hired or fired at Government institutions without its permission.
Madam Speaker, I will not repeat what is said about each Clause in the explanatory memorandum to the Bill. I will only stress a couple of important points. Not so long ago, we saw that the public health service was affected by spread strikes, walk outs and refusal of service by public health workers. There were in many cases misled by union representatives who promised that they could achieve the impossible that is to say to compare the Government to give them conditions that were beyond the capacity of Government’s financial ability to offer. We as Government highly value our public health service workers but they are not the only public service workers we have to care for. They, like other workers in the public sector, are entitled to decent working conditions and Government will never stop hearing their reasonable grievances about their material well being but we must balance the aspiration with the reality that in any state, the delivery of affordable public health service is a basic public health good that cannot be withdrawn from our people because of a labour dispute.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, also there is a limit beyond which we can tax our already financially burdened people to pay for health services. We are not yet a high middle income country but our training facilities for health service workers are very good and they are frequently sought after by other countries.
Accordingly, the Bill will declare that health service to be an essential service. This means that the service cannot be withdrawn by ordinary methods of industrial action. Instead Madam Speaker, negotiations must be undertaken leading to compulsory arbitration if there is a deadlock between the parties. At most withdrawal services during collective job action cannot exceed 72 hours in any week.
Clause 5 of the Bill is a very important clause in this connection, it makes it clear that the calling of a health service worker is not simply a job but a vocation to help, heal and save the lives of our people. What is more noble than that? Sub clause (4) of Clause 4 says that a member of the health service is under an obligation to provide the professional skill expertise, care and service expected of him or her as a member of the profession to which he or she belongs. It goes on to say that even during any collective job action, a member of the health sector is under an obligation to provide the professional skill, expertise, care and service to patients in a medical emergency or needing critical or intensive care.
Madam Speaker Ma,am, health service workers who breach these fundamental obligations will force professional disciplinary proceedings, just like any other health service worker in the private sector will face the same.
In conclusion Madam Speaker, I urge Hon. Members to pass this law to improve the status and prestige of our public health service workers and professionals. I thank you and move that the Bill be read a second time.
Health Services Amendment Bill: Second Reading Speech
