THE Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) has urged government to avoid downplaying concerns raised by the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) through threats, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue. ZMA has also condemned what it described as the continued exploitation of unpaid Junior Resident Medical Officers, criticising the government’s practice of promising future employment as a way to justify over-reliance on volunteer labour amid staff shortages. Meanwhile, Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) president Paul Chibwe says some hospital superintendents are threatening to blacklist unemployed doctors who refuse to return to voluntary work. This comes after RDAZ last week withdrew its members from voluntary service at various facilities, citing the government’s over-reliance on unpaid doctors to deliver essential medical services...