Doctors, nurses in Zimbabwe strike over lack of protective equipment to fight coronavirus

Doctors and nurses at hospitals in Zimbabwe went on strike Wednesday, protesting a lack of protective equipment needed to treat patients infected with COVID-19.

The Associated Press reported that conditions were bad enough and supplies were in enough short supply that some patients were asked to provide their own gloves and clean water.

“Right now, we are exposed and no one seems to care,” Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association President Tawanda Zvakada told the news agency.

Zvakada said doctors and nurses would return to work when proper medical gear arrives at the hospitals.

Zimbabwe reported three cases of COVID-19 and recorded its first death this week.

The World Health Organization announced last week that the coronavirus is quickly spreading throughout Africa, with 36 countries out of 56 on the continent reporting cases of the virus.

South Africa will go into lockdown on Friday after reporting a total of 709 cases, health officials said.

Across the continent, more than 2,400 cases of COVID-19 have been reported.