Intern Psychologists

30 August 2018

 

 

The Minister

The Ministry of Health and Child Care

1122 Causeway

Harare

Zimbabwe

Dear Sir

RE: Application to receive a Salary and Allowances as Intern Psychologists

Firstly we would like to thank you for an open door policy as a ministry which has allowed us to share these concerns as Intern psychologists in mental health settings. It is our shared hope as interns and hopefully with you as a parent ministry that it is a sorry state in which Intern psychologists proffer time and specialised services for months and some for three years in mental health services and rehabilitation in the ministry of health without even receiving a single cent for their services, paradoxically they pay monthly supervision fees.

Unfortunately, as intern psychologist around Zimbabwe we do not have specific association representing intern psychologists in particular like The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) or The Zimbabwe Medical Students Association (ZMSA) which only represent junior doctors. In that respect this letter is coming from majority of affected psychology interns serving in the government.  All psychologists in Zimbabwe are expected to register and issued a practicing certificate with the Allied Health Profession Council of Zimbabwe (AHPCZ).

 

It is our understanding which we believe we share also with you that the way in which internship is structured it constitutes what is called work in its pith. The(AHPCZ)  Psychologist Training, Registration And Practice In Zimbabwe (2016 Regulations)  2016:14 regulations state that a psychologist undergoing the internship processes can not practice outside the government setting for more that 90 days so intern psychologist have nowhere to receive internship except from the government institutions. The internship training must be conducted within the specified registration category  :a) For clinical related internship training to be recognized by the Council, it has to be conducted in an accredited or approved health institution on a full-time basis (40 hours per week) over a minimum period of 12 months. AHPCZ Psychologist Training, Registration and Practice in Zimbabwe (2016 Regulations)   regulations (2016:11). Hence the hours constitute work as defined in various labor instruments operational in Zimbabwe and also that work is mainly to be done only in public institution therefore makes interns defacto employees of the state.

 

As we sorely believe that you are conversant with the Health Professionals Act( 27:19) which support the AHPCZ Psychologist Training, Registration And Practice In Zimbabwe (2016 Regulations)   which support payment of psychology interns as they provide specialist services. These regulations state that: Since interns provide services that are valuable to the institution or practice in which they work, the Council supports the principle of paid employment of interns. The employment and remuneration of psychology interns is to be mutually agreed between the training institution and the intern. Although the Council cannot dictate the remuneration of interns, it is expected that training institutions will remunerate their psychology interns fairly. Hence its fundamental that negotiations which will breathe life in such conditions have not yet ensued, and the fact that psychology interns are not being remunerated by the state attest to this testimony. It is our wish which we also believe that you believe with us that paid employment of psychology interns in health settings commence forthwith.

 

It is to our understanding that regional benchmarks in SADC pay their interns a monthly income. It is our wish and our hope that you also share the same view that just as our regional counterparts in SADC that  we as intern psychologists receive the same treatment in terms of monthly income. As health practitioners, junior doctors are receiving monthly income in Zimbabwe. It is our shared conviction as intern psychologists which we hope you also share, that we as mental health specialists we be also found to receive same treatment by way of receiving a monthly income. We feel that it is incumbent upon the state to ensure that we as professionals and specialists in mental health are treated with that attained respect in terms of payment.

It is within our understanding that you with us also understand that the tenure to practice as a psychologist is at minimum seven (7) years. These 7 years may be meet in two ways which are as follows 1) four years undergraduate studies plus three years internship practice or 2) four years undergraduate studies, two years postgraduate studies plus 1 year internship. It is in this we agree as interns and we do believe that you also agree that these years accumulated in studies and intern practice fall within specialised training. It is our shared hope and in which we also believe that you believe that we as interns cannot go for such a long service and training without a monthly income.

It is our concrete belief as interns that as a ministry you are upholding and also seek to continually uphold the provisions in our constitution No 20 (2013) section 29 subsection (1) were the state must take all practical measures to ensure the provision of basic, accessible and adequate health services throughout Zimbabwe. It is our firm belief that to achieve these goals cast within our constitution all of our public health institutions should be properly staffed by psychologists in all the 10 provinces including psychiatric institutions and forensic units. In achieving this, current welfare of interns needs to be considered so  that after registration they  will consider taking up such posts if availed to them, so that section 29 subsection (1) can be fulfilled. It is in this that as interns we do believe that you want as a ministry to comport to this constitutional obligation, and in such will consider our welfare.

Its our firm belief that as interns we should have a gainful employment which provides dignified living, as interns. We are of the view that as a law conforming body you share with us this constitutional obligation that reads: The state and all institutions and agencies of government at every level must adopt reasonable policies and measures, within its limits of the resources available to them, to provide everyone with an opportunity to work in a freely chosen activity, in order to secure a decent living for themselves and their families (Constitution of Zimbabwe amendment No 20 (2013) section 24 subsection (1). Its our firm hope that the ministry wants to fulfill this constitutional obligation and more so it is most interested in seeing us as intern psychologists secure a decent living. We also hope that as we proffer specialized services in mental health facilities as part of our registration processes, we surely hope that you will give us a dignified and decent income for us and our families.

It has always been the interest of every intern psychologist to be formally employed by the ministry as we continue to offer specialized professional services to the hospitals and the people of Zimbabwe. We solemnly wish the ministry increase the employment of psychologist in Zimbabwe which matches the graduating numbers from our government universities.  More information to the benefits of having psychologist in the government ministries may be found from the Zimbabwe Psychology Association (ZPA) and records of all intern psychologists practicing in Zimbabwe will be found with the Allied health Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (AHPCZ).

It is also our belief as interns that the ministry has also a moral stance and thus comports to the divine sources as found in 1 Timothy 5:18: …”You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain” and “The labourer is worthy his wages” read together with 1 Corinthians 9:9 and Deuteronomy 25:4. In these firm beliefs in which we believe we share together as psychology inters and you as the parent ministry we pray and hope that you will kindly consider our humble request, with speed, favor so that redress is done. We hope to hear your reply concerning our request.

Yours sincerely

Prosper K Mushauri & other interns

 

Cc :

The Permanent Secretary to The Ministry of health and Child Care.

The Human Resources Director to The Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The Director Mental Health to The Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The Accounting Director to The Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The Health Services Board.

Zimbabwe Psychology Association.

Allied Health Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe.