Since former President Mugabe was ousted in a military coup, the economy in Zimbabwe has been going down hill. Inflation is over 20 percent per year, and businesses are failing all around the country. Prices are soaring and there is a shortage of food in the grocery stores. Prices have risen by at least 300 percent in just the last two months. It could be a repeat of the economic crisis a decade ago which wiped out most people’s savings.
One industry which the people can’t afford to see fail is health care. Hospitals are running out of medicine and doctors barely earn a livable wage. Hospitals have been requiring patients to pay for the few medicines they do have in foreign currency and are refusing insurance. Some hospitals have shut down normal services and are only treating emergency cases.
In response to these problems, many doctors around the country are going on strike. They are refusing to work until the government intervenes, raises their salaries, and do something about the medicine shortages. Currently doctors are earning a salary of about $385 per month. The strike has so far lasted for two weeks. Last March doctors were successfully able to raise their wages by going on strike and are hoping to have the same outcome this time. Doctors have the benefit of being in a important and influential position in the country and can put a lot of pressure on the government by going on strike. You certainly can’t blame them for wanting to earn a livable wage, but sadly most people in Zimbabwe can do nothing but suffer. The government will not likely be coming to anyone elses rescue. Economic crisis like these are all too common in corrupt governments around the world.