IT is now undeniable the coronavirus has hit at the very heart of our government, with three ministers dying from the COVID-19. The death of Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister Sibusiso Moyo this week just shows how inaction against COVID-19 is hitting close to home. Whether President Emmerson Mnangagwa was forced to isolate after close aides became infected or not is not the issue. What is clear is that top government officials' duplicity could cost the country dearly. And just a week earlier, before Moyo’s death, Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba died from COVID-19 who was later laid to rest this Thursday. This is why for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to go on holiday, which has apparently been cut short by the increased COVID-19 spikes, is mind boggling for a couple of reasons. Firstly, hospitals and clinics are full of patients suffering from COVID-19. So full are the hospitals and clinics that some people are reportedly being turned away to potentially die at home as these medical facilities are under capacitated to handle new patients. As such, authorities and officials need to urgently look at other options to make sure every sick Zimbabwean suffering from the coronavirus gets adequate care and treatment. Secondly, doctors and nurses are working at the lowest morale they have ever been in the country’s 40 plus years. The main reasons for this is government failure to provide them with adequate personal protective equipment, better wages and basic living benefits. Perhaps, the most visible way doctors and nurses have shown their growing displeasure is through going on strikes complaining about their declining standards of living compared to colleagues in the region. To put that into perspective, according to American compensation software and data company, Payscale, which helps employers manage employee compensation, an average doctor earns between R205 000 and R1 million per annum in South Africa. But, just in case people say “you cannot compare South Africa and Zimbabwe”, in Botswana, according to Payscale, doctors make an average of US$21 880,28 annually. Meanwhile, separate research shows that doctors in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia earn between US$500 and US$3 000 per month on average which includes benefits. So, the next obvious question then becomes: Can the Zimbabwean government afford better wages? Well, according to the World Health Organisation, there are an average of 1,6 physicians and 7,2 nurses for every 10 000 people in Zimbabwe. That means that with a population estimated at 15 million that translates to 2 400 doctors and 10 800 nurses, about 13 200 medical professionals in total which means that the government can pay these professionals better remuneration. But, alas, the government doesn’t seem to care as it always threatens medical professionals to come back to work risking their lives without any adequate protections rather than offer them better pay. If someone thinks we are being too harsh with the government look at Information, Publicity and Broadcas