Doctors at Mozambique’s public hospitals have announced a nationwide strike starting July 29, citing unresolved demands and deteriorating conditions in the national health service.
Medical Association of Mozambique (AMM) president Napoleão Viola said on Monday that the strike, set to last 21 days, would be extended if no agreement is reached with the government by August 18.
He described the health service as “chaotic” and accused the government of ignoring the medical profession’s concerns.
He told journalists in Maputo that medical personnel are being forced to work in health facilities that lack basic supplies such as medicines, food for patients and diagnostic tools.
Viola bemoaned the fact that the government had only addressed six of 23 demands presented by the doctors since negotiations began in August last year, and that there has been no dialogue between the parties for the past five months.
The doctors also want their salaries reviewed.
The medical practitioners embarked on another 21-day strike in July 2023 over similar demands.
JN/APA