Senior doctors have withdrawn their services and petitioned the goverment over the disappearance of the president of Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, Peter Magombeyi.
Magombeyi went missing on Saturday after leading a demonstration over paltry salaries.
Prior to his disappearance, Magombeyi had received some phone calls threatening him over the demonstrations.
“We senior doctors (specialists) working in government health institutions met today 16 September 2029 at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
We deliberated on the disappearance of our colleague Dr Peter Magombeyi which was reported to Budiriro Police RB No 4085997.
Dr Magombeyi’s whereabouts remains unknown and we are seriously concermed about his welfare.
” We therefore demand his unconditional return to his family” , said the statement.
Meanwhile, we have withdrawn our services from 0800hrs 16th September 2019 as medical practitioners from public & private services.
Our prayers and thoughts are with him & his family during this difficult time.”
Junior doctors from Harare Central Hospital today joined their counterparts from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, in protesting against the abduction of the Doctor’s Association President, Dr Peter Magombeyi, on Saturday night.
The doctors have vowed not to return to work until their colleague is found.
As largely expected, the notoriously partisan Zimbabwe Republic Police has said there is a possibility of a third force involved in the recent abductions in Zimbabwe.
National Police Spokesperson Assistant Paul Nyati was referring to the abduction of Junior Doctors’ union leader Dr Peter Magombeyi who was abducted at his home in Budiriro on Saturday night.
In a statement addressing the adduction of Dr Magombeyi, Nyathi said: “We have noted with previous concern that previously there were a number of alleged abductions ahead of the SADC Summit recently held in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.
The possibility of a third force being involved in the alleged abductions for political expedience and to sustain the human rights narative ahead of the forth coming UN general Assembly cannot be ruled out.”
Magombeyi’s abduction follows a spate of abductions and torture of MDC members, human rights defenders and government critics.
Observers have urged that the abductions were being sanctioned by the state and were meant to instil fear in members of the public.
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