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Health workers get 100% salary hike

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Chisimba Kambwili
Chisimba Kambwili

GOVERNMENT has increased salaries for all health workers by 100 percent, Minister of Labour, Sport and Youth Chishimba Kambwili said in Ndola yesterday.

He said the pay rise will boost morale among health workers across the country.

“Today , we have increased the salaries for all our health workers by 100 percent, so when the PF government says it is putting more money into people’s pockets, we mean business and we are serious,” Mr Kambwili said.

The minister was speaking after visiting Morganite Limited. He said Government is concerned about the poor salaries many workers get across the country.

Mr Kambwili said the salary increment for health workers is an indication that Government is committed to improving salaries for civil servants, as promised during election campaigns.

And in another development, Mr Kambwili has ordered Morganite Limited general manager Stanley Kampo to report to the ministry next Tuesday.

The minister said Government is concerned with reports that Mr Kampo abuses workers and insults them.

“First of all, I am shocked that the person we are talking about is a Zambian and honestly, how can he do that to fellow Zambians? I want him next Tuesday at my office so that he can answer the allegations,” Mr Kambwili said.

[pullquote]“Today , we have increased the salaries for all our health workers by 100 percent, so when the PF government says it is putting more money into people’s pockets, we mean business and we are serious,” Mr Kambwili said.[/pullquote]

He was speaking at Morganite Limited after paying a surprise visit to the company. The minister also ordered management to engage a human resource manager to help the company with personnel issues. Mr Kambwili said management should also allow workers to form a union.

And workers complained about the poor salaries offered by management. One worker said the pay slip does not indicate the housing allowance paid to workers and that they have not had a salary increment for the past four years.

Meanwhile, PRESIDENT Sata has asked Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda to explore ways of doubling remuneration of Zambian doctors as a way of putting more money in their pockets and improve health.

Mr. Sata also said rural health centres in the country are in a deplorable state and it is important to improve the doctor to patient ratio by having more doctors attend to patients in rural centres.

“I am pleading with the Minister of Finance,” President Sata said. “We have to find ways of doubling salaries for doctors to beat others in the region, so that we can attract our doctors back.”

If the doctors wages are doubled, a junior Zambian doctor from the University of Zambia could take home about K10 million which is still less than their colleagues in Nambia and South Africa.

President Sata said this at State House yesterday after he swore in a deputy minister, a permanent secretary and ambassadors and high commissioners.

He regretted that it has taken long for some ambassadors and high commissioners to take up their positions despite being appointed as far back as October last year, because of the poor record previous office holders left behind and urged new diplomats to exhibit exemplary behaviour.

[pullquote]“I am pleading with the Minister of Finance,” President Sata said. “We have to find ways of doubling salaries for doctors to beat others in the region, so that we can attract our doctors back.”[/pullquote]

Mr Sata said it is important to have more doctors in the country to improve the health profile of citizens and make sure the PF manifesto is implemented.

The President’s directive is in line with the Patriotic Front campaign promise to improve the health sector by facilitating the building of vital infrastructure that will deliver primary healthcare as close to the people as possible.

In its manifesto on human resource, the PF says it intends to improve conditions of service to minimise the brain-drain.

It also plans to “rehabilitate and expand existing health training institutions to increase the number of graduates”.

Recently, President Sata announced an ambitious plan to erect some 650 health centres countrywide to make health care more accessible.

He said the new health posts are lined up as follows: 98 in Southern Province while Central Province will have 52 and Western Province will have 62 new health posts.

Mr Sata said new health posts will bring with them the benefits of boosting the construction sector and consequently job creation during the construction phase, plus greater access to health, especially in rural areas.

Northern Province will have 107 new health posts while North-Western Province will have 74. Lusaka Province will have 27, Luapula 63, Eastern 68 and Copperbelt 87.

The President said the health posts and residence facilities will be equipped with solar systems, equipment and furniture, hand pumps, medicines, dressing materials, electricity and running water.

President Sata also instructed the Minister of Health Dr Joseph Kasonde to step up the recruitment of health personnel both locally and abroad to ensure that the new health posts are adequately staffed.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

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editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com

100 COMMENTS

  5. How about teachers? When is Kambwili going to increase their salaries. It is the teachers who gave basic education to health workers. Please, do something for the teachers, perhaps 200% increment.

  7. This is what we all expected that kambwili would do better as labour minister coz he had been dealing with these issues even before he became politician or minister. Not foreign affairs. next give teachers good salaries and housing allowances.

  9. Hundred Across the board – Teachers, Police, Council. The Business community workers will start demanding for the same. More demand for goods – housing, plots, electricity, foods and the like. Watch Inflation and the Kwacha. I only hope these are not populist ideas. Zambians watch this space. 30 or 25% would have been good.

    • Inflation only arises if the increase in money supply is not backed by an increase in production. So it is not a given that inflation will arise. If the increase in money circulation results leads to higher turnover and profits for business they are able to reinvest this to increase their production capacity of goods and meet the increased demand, so not necessarily leading to or requiring hiking of prices but still leading to increased profits. The question is whether the businesses will respond swiftly enough to increase output

  12. Atleast mr minister you can make comparisons to the employers who have failed to make reasonable pay rise like First Quantum despite the huge amount of money they are making from our copper.

    • Yes, I have formed an oipoinn, and it has two points.One: God (or, in the case of the atheist homosexual, the creator ) would not devise a method for procreation and then not include members of His (or the creator’s ) creation in the plan (in other words, why make a creation that would have to be created new each time, instead of giving them the desire to create their own little copies?);and two: aside from the physical issues, aside from the homosexuality is a sin issue, the fact that homosexuals are engaging in fornication, a sin in and of itself, is enough to send them to damnation.

  13. IWE BULLDOG!!!!!!……..how about the teachers? they need the increament as well otherwise you will stir the nation into a country wide strike in the ministry of education….

  14. Are health workers the only civil servants deserving salary increment?and mind you it has to be 100%for all the civil servants.

  15. Im a government worker, and I can bet with u that it is not possible to increase salaries for all health workers by 100%.

    Let a nurse or any health worker confirm with everyone that their salaries have been increased by 100%. I hope the Minister is telling the truth other wise it will be unfair to raise these hard working mens’ and womens’  hopes only to dampen them later that it was never meant be.

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  19. This is not the last we’ll here of this story. I expect some drama here. Was this in the budget? What about the rest of the civil servants? Like other contributors are saying, lets watch the economy and inflation with such an announcement. 

  20. At this rate, I wouldn’t be too suprised if this Government bankrupts the National Treasury over the next decade…

  21. SOMEONE SAID ITS THE POLICE AND THE HEALTH SECTION. IS IT BECAUSE THE HUSBAND IS A POLICE AND THE WIFE A DOCTOR? MORE MONEY IN PEOPLE’S ROCKETS. SORRY TEACHERS, NEXT MONTH FOR YOU.

  22. Number 19 tht can’t happen. Please stop dreaming, campaign time has finnished, get a life!!! Don’t use your ass when thinking.

  24. watch inflation and was it in the Budget speech,i never read that as i have a copy.lest we are told effective 2013. There will be cries for other civil servants too.

  25. health workers are civil servants like the rest, the increment must be spread to all civil servants. otherwise PF must brace themselves for strikes over this discriminatory increment. Teachers wont give them a chance over this one. 100% will now become the bench mark for all civil servants negotiating for an increment.

  26. 1. KK use to favour teachers with better salaries just after indepdedenece
    2. Chiluba favoured bus operators and vendors
    3. Mwanawasa favoured all lawyers working in GRZ with a huge non – practicing allowance of about K5 million non taxed in addition to their usual salaries like the rest of civil servants
    4. R.B favoured his friends and relatives
    5. Now MCS is favoring healthy workers and police officers

  27. The increases must be properly thought through, lest the value of the Kwacha agaiist the dollar will be thrown into a spin – fueling hyper inflation. (even dropping the three zeros will not help). We should be wary of making these populist decisions because reality will come and bite us in the back!

  28. Everything is police and ministry of health. Is it because husband and wife were respectively as above.
    There is more to this country.

  30. SO IT SEEMS LIKE US OTHER CIVIL SERVANTS ARE NOT IMPORTANT IN THE EYES OF THESE POLITICIANS KA! WE WORK HARD TO SEE THAT THIS COUNTRY IS ON RIGHT COURSE, BUT EVERY TIME THERE IS AN ISSUE PAY RISE, ITS LIKE WE DONT EVEN EXIST-CAN YOU WATCH NEWS OR CAN YOU PRESENT A BUDGET WITHOUT THE GUY WHO IS BEHIND THE SCENES MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU ARE WATCHING OR PRESENT IS PERFECT? EXCUSE ME, YOU NEED TO START TREATING ALL CIVIL SERVANT EQUALLY BECAUSE ONE DAY YOU WAKE TO FIND THAT THERE IS NO SERVICE DELIVERY BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS DECIDED TO BE A POLICEMAN OR MEDICAL WORKER

  31. well well well, and what next to other institutions? Who will accept anything less than what you have just started? Mukose ku ma STRIKES!!! Am watching the economy in my reeling chair….

  33. Where is this money going to come from? Of course we want health workers to be well paid BUT you can’t just wake up and double salaries. Did this Minister think this through?

  34. Good move by the govt, this is very long over due, now sort out the police and the teachers after all the more money they get more tax grz gets, so good move all round

  36. In management even when you can give 100% you give 50% to accomodate others and shortcoming otherwise i see a spiral effect whereby even after debasing your currency you will still be k6000 to a dollar.

  37. LETS ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN NOT INCREASE FOR EVERYONE AT ONCE…HEALTHY WORKERS LOOK AFTER OUR HEALTH MATTERS WHETHER WE ARE TEACHERS,ENGINEERS,PLUMBERS,SOLDIERS.MINISTERS ETC..SO ITS JUST IMPORTANT TO START WITH THEM AND THEN MOVE ON TO OTHER SECTORS GRADUALLY………AT LEAST PF IS WORKING-ZAMTEL,CHIPLOLOPLO AFCON,ANTI CORRUPTION ,MINUS THREE ZEROS,WE ARE TRULY IN THE BOAT

  38. You only have to redirect the money which was being buried underground, PM’s car loans and mid term gratuity, the money K fimofimo and others siphoned to build a hotels and lodges, money being wasted on unproductive seminars, money wasted on ZRA scanners… and a lot more waste, and there will be enough money to pay Civil Servants a decent wage! Arm chair critics just shut up.

  39. Please all of you complaining about increment to health workers must SHUT UP!!! Health workers work more hours than teachers. Here are some reasons why health workers deserve a better pay than teachers and other civil servants:

    A. Health workers (HW) work 8hrs per day Vs Teachers (T) some 80minutes per day 2periods
    B. T get 3 months free holiday in a year apart from their annual leave but HW only a month in a year
    C. HW. Are subjected to infection exposure such as TB ,HIV cholera while to teacher ka chocoal dust fye

  44. @ greewell and Octopus, both your comments hold no water. All civil servant are essential workers in their own right. Thats why the civil service is a system that should work a such to achieve set goals. E.g. without Ministry of Agriculture and its dedicated staff do you think we would have had a bumper harvest and food security? Do you expect patients to get well on a poor diet or children getting quality education on empty stomachs? If you talk about risks, all our jobs have risks. Lets not have a situation where some civil servants are treated better than others as if we owrk for different governments.

    • You can be in the same team, but still get different salaries. Its a good beginning, I’m sure other ministries will stand to benefit in the long run.

  47. Percentages alone without figures don’t mean much. Can somebody tell us what figures we are talking about (old or new ones). What a good move. Now how about other govt workers like civil servants, the army, police etc? Is it because the first lady is a doctor? Honestly that is a good move

  48. @ 39 i agree with you.Health workers deserve a 100% increment and all those complaining how many health workers do we have in Zed? The increments in reality will be minimal after PAYE has been deducted from the workers.
    Other civil servants must get increments as well but it cannot be 100% anyone complaining can study medicine or become a nurse we still need more of them.

  49. let’s not jump to conclusion that others wont follow just this year, although I’d have thought it wise to begin with civil servants who’re already on strike i.e. judiciary workers. A 20% to them would have calmed them and then a more realistic percentage to the preferred health workers!

  51. 100% increament by the minister without negotiations sounds good but when is the effective month so that we monitor our freinds pay slips.Civil servant unoin we are waiting for you.

  52. @ Braggadocio, there are many people who want to study medicine but due to the shortage of training facilities we can’t have our ideal number of health workers. We need to learn something from our cuban friends on how to maintain a good doctor-patient ratio even with relatively low salaries. We might end up having a few highly paid Docs and nurses because of a constrained budget to train, employ and pay more of them.

  53. I can’t agree less with people suggesting that we are in for a rude shock as all the teachers and other government workers will demand for 100% salary increase as it is not wrong to do so. I just hope the PF government has enough resources to put out these expected strikes. if not they should at least have enough resources to put out the strikes. I end here!

  54. I believe there are no medicines in government hospitals so where will the money for salary increments (well deserved I might add) come from? The sentiments are well meant, but delivery has not been thought through. 100% simply cannot be sustained.

  58. Procure the medicines rewards the sick Zambian then look after the ones in good health nurses and all the civil servants .the situation is pathetic in all health centers at the rate all these uncontrolled pronouncement from every Jelita and Mulenga in the PF i honestly wonder how the financial resources will be managed to meet all these policy directives.What ever happened to all the professional civil servants left over from UNIP and MMD.The drama in Zambia is like an episode of Heroes.

  59. zambians how do u expect mr kambwili to increase all civil servants at one time ? it has to be done one by one you fools! its funny how most of the people that comment are in a foreign land … lets wake up and thank the man 

  61. As teachers we a meeting tomorrow at limulunga school to strategise…without our inclusion will shock u.viva teaching fraternity,abash corwadice.

  62. I have a feeling this announcement will be reversed. Lets look at a few critical issues. The Prsident was asking the Minister of Finance to look at ways in which he could double the salaries of Doctors so that they could compete with other countries in the region. The next thin Kambwili announces that we have doubled the salaries of ALL health workers. Was there a breakdown in communication between Kambwili and his Boss?? Secondly health workers are civil servants and they are on the same collective agreement with ALL other civil servants, legally its not possible to increase partially for one sector and not the others. Let us wait and see but i see a small problem.

  63. and u think us who are not medical are going to sit and start admiring our friends perks????? VIVA STRIKES!!!! the best u culd hav done is increase all workers salaries by 40% or so…..u are now creating yo own problems pa pf

  65. #62, Zambian, you are spot on. There is no logical flow of ideas between H.E. and his minister. Unless this was already agreed on in their cabinet meetings, I foresee Kambwili seeing red on this one. H.E. was asking Minister of Finance to look at ways of doubling doctors salaries and at the same time his minister is annoucing that all health workers have had their salaries doubled. Let’s wait and see, Bola panshi. Amunipe bola basankwa, ndiyanda kuoma beam.

  66. I do not understand why some loggers question the right of people abroad to comment on issues in Zambia. There are a lot of bloggers who are studying abroad with a view to coming back after their studies. So obviously they have an interest in their land and the conditions they will work under. Even foreigners may blog here. You can’t stop them or behave like the blog police.

  69. It’s funny most people are praising the minister for doubling the wages of gov’t health workers without asking the most relevant question of where the money for the increament will come from. since gov’t does not make money but take from others to give to others, there’re only three ways to fund this. 1. Increase tax, which means less money in peoples’ pockets 2. Borrow from the dornor community, rendering Zambians as international beggers, hence, difficulties 4 Zambians who travel abroad due to visa restrictions or 3. Print more Kwacha, which is still a stealth tax which lowers the standard of living for everyone. So before you fall down on that chair praising the minister, try to think where the money is gonna come from. 

  71. this is a good move if at all it has been tabled.i however highly suspect someone trying to overblow or put these utterances in Kambwili ‘s mouth with the view of destroying him hence the paradox between the presidos statement and the ministers.lets hope for da best

  72. So the govt has said and so be it , it is a good idea because we need our highly trained doctors back in the country rather than having them save lives in developed countries like the u.k or the u.s . Doctors and registered nurses make as much as 90,000 dollars a year for nurses and 200,000 dollars plus for doctors. So first things first, with good health care alot of deaths can be prevented

  73. I have to say, the accusations against Morganite and Mr Steny Kampo are outrageous. Who ever is responsible for spreading such nonsence should face charges. How this article was even allowed to be posted is beyond me. If facts were even looked at, Morganite pays its workers way above average and the minimum wage. If anything, the workers are spoiled. This is clearly a few rotten eggs with more greed than sense merely causing trouble. And as for Mr Kampo’s name being dragged through the mud, i can tell you its nonsense! If anything, i have witnesed the way Mr Kampo deals with staff and it has been nothing but fair, slow to anger and proffesional.

  74. increments are done in relation to GDP. But for matero university graduates its just announcing without thinking through. Good economics from matero but what about inflation mr heo

  76. Whereas I agree that conditions of service, including salaries, need to be improved I am quite taken aback by the sudden announcement of a 100% increment. If its viable, well and good (considering that we are a rich country and the major problem being the inequitable distribution of wealth – something that would take a while for a new govt. to correct) Thus, amazingly it means that in the four months that this govt. has been in power, it has assessed the inflational consequences, where the extra money will come from, the spiral demands of the same from other sectors, the fisical ramifications or otherwise, donor partner contributions, tax regime, e.t.c. Its a miracle! I can walk again!

  77. I was expecting something like this but thought sata will do it discreetly by increasing allowances, now he has to prepare for disgruntled workers from all other sectors. whatever one may think i think exciting times are ahead.

  78. The Northern Province has the highest number of the proposed health posts (107 of them). The rest of the provinces are in double digits and don’t come even close. Mr. Sata is from the Northern Province. I’m just saying.

  80. The president was making an appeal to his money man and did not give an indication that the increment had been awarded; may be I ‘m just behind on the issue. What worries is that the Minister is visiting companies with a message to managements to increase wages. As the GRZ rep, he should attend to both sides of the equation. He should advise the workers to double productivity to avoid lay offs. In the mean time the MMD guys must have been very unfair to the civil servants to to have awarded even a 65% increment if these coffers can allow a 100%+.

  81. Mr Kambwili must be careful with telling lies. The govt alone cant increase salaries without agreement with Union officials. If the information came from the Union officials I would have believed NOT from bootliker Kambwili. Nurses and Doctors can easily go on strike if salaries are not effected. Maweee Ubufi ukununka………………

  82. This is not the PF i voted for, this increment lack economic sense. Where do you get this many and the realism is that when you tip one side of the scale you have tip the other otherwise there will be unrest and problems will come in. Ba Kambwili is obviously a vessel for the govt but I think our govt is making a mistake. It has never happened in any nation that such an increment be made. I can foresee a withdrawal of this statement soon! My opinion!

  84. We have to appreciate every profession,we cant all be health workers.Now did the minister mean only medical personnel or the entire ministry of health?.I hope this move wont cause country wide strikes because other civil servants will be left out.Again,where is government getting the money from?

    • ‘PF government says it is putting more money into people’s pockets, we mean business’  and ‘the salary increment for health workers is an indication that Government is committed to improving salaries for civil servant’. Does it mean only health workers are the people of Zambia and civil servants? watch out for such statements. people are not fools to have voted PF into power. Chaos is imminent! 

  85. ‘PF government says it is putting more money into people’s pockets, we mean business’ and ‘the salary increment for health workers is an indication that Government is committed to improving salaries for civil servant’. Does it mean only health personnel are the people of Zambia and that they re the constitute the civil service? Watch out for such statements. the Zambian people are intently watching and listening for they voted for PF into power. Chaos is imminent if this is the implication!

  87. Let’s wait and see !
    Please remember the teachers who taught me and a sorry sight when I meet some of them with shoes spitting dust

  88. Its not just the question of increasing salaries of health workers. Belamekela abalwele. But they should work for what they receive.

  89. people dont just say things,these people have got all the advisers you would think of, economists,doctors,exetra,for those talking of it not been budgeted for unless you tell me that you did not see that the budget had increased money given to the health secoter meaning when giving them that all had been put into consideration…….

  91. / I have used a bit of C++ although the ploerbm is that it takes a long time to develop good games in C++. If I was to make a game I would do them in Flash as they are easier and quicker to develop and widely played on the net.

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