HARARE, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean finance minister Mthuli Ncube on Monday urged striking doctors at public hospitals to go back to work, saying the government cannot pay them in foreign currency.

The junior doctors went on strike on Dec. 1 demanding, among other things, payment in U.S. dollars and an improvement in drug and equipment supply.

A meeting between the health minister and representatives of the doctors last Thursday failed to break the impasse.

Reports on Monday also said senior doctors had joined their striking junior counterparts, citing huge workload which they said was affecting effective discharge of their duties.

Ncube told a press briefing on Monday that the government understands and sympathizes with the plight of the doctors and is doing all it can to alleviate the situation.

"Government has done a lot in meeting the demands of the junior doctors. It will be unfortunate for them to continue staying out hospitals because people are dying. We will do our best to meet their demands," he said.

The minister said the government cannot pay any civil servant in hard currency. "There is no question of us paying anyone in hard currency."

Health minister Obadiah Moyo last week said his ministry had made arrangements for fuel to be made easily available to the doctors so that they can travel to work as part of efforts to ease the plight of the doctors. Enditem

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