Nurses in Zimbabwe’s public health system have requested that the government allow them to work for one week and rest the following two weeks in self-isolation to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union (ZPNU) secretary-general Douglas Chikobvu told the Daily News on Friday that it will allow for the monitoring of nurses in case they were exposed to the coronavirus during their working shifts. Said Chikobvu:
The Health Apex Council met and submitted to the government that we want to work a week in and two weeks off while in self-isolation.
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This will create time to monitor health workers for any signs and symptoms they may develop as the incubation period for the virus is 14 days.
Nurses are currently working between two and three days a week under a flexi-hours system introduced by the government to alleviate their incapacitation due to poor remuneration.
