Striking doctors file injunction to annul recorded absences, disciplinary cases

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Striking doctors file injunction to annul recorded absences, disciplinary cases

4:10 CAT | 03 Aug 2023

Administrativetribunal.samora.statue.maputo.not_-770x510

FILE - Administrative Tribunal, in Maputo. [File photo: Notícias]

Mozambique’s striking doctors have submitted to the Administrative Tribunal an injunction to annul the recording of absences and suspend disciplinary proceedings, adding that they would ask international entities to intervene in the matter.

Two weeks ago, the government called the striking doctors “absentees” and warned that their absences were being recorded, incurring disciplinary proceedings, allegedly for violating minimum service conditions.

Following the executive’s position, the medical class claims to have submitted, two days ago, an injunction to the Administrative Tribunal, to annul the effects of the administrative measures announced by the government.

“We understand this as a threat and, since it is a threat, we submitted a request for a precautionary measure, two days ago, to the Administrative Tribunal, so that everything that is the effect of these illegal measures taken by the government cannot be felt by the doctors, who are exercising their constitutional right,” explained Napoleão Viola, general secretary of the Medical Association.

This Tuesday, after the Council of Ministers, the government reiterated its position by announcing the provisional hiring of 60 doctors to cover in part the void created by the strike. In response, the Medical Association said it was in favour of the idea, and in fact thought it would be better to hire all other unemployed doctors.

“We have about 450 doctors who are unemployed, because the government does not want to hire them. If you are already going to hire 60, we are happy. We are talking about a country that is experiencing an emergency in terms of doctor per inhabitant ratio. [The government] should hire every doctor that is available to work,” he added.

However, Napoleão Viola draws attention to the fact that newly graduated doctors will not provide the desired quality of medical care because they are inexperienced.

For Viola, this implies a setback in the quality of the health service and explains that “Medicine is something you learn over time. If you leave your wallet today for the job market, it does not mean that you already know everything,” he said.

In addition, through a press release, the doctors inform that they would resort to international organisations to support their situation.

“The way in which it is both intentionally and negligently destroying the National Health Service and marginalising the medical profession gives the Mozambican Medical Association (AMM) space to question the relevant institutions in the health sector at the level of the African Union and the United Nations. Nations, including the respective human rights systems, as well as Mozambique’s international partners in the area of health, to intervene in the case at hand and call the Mozambican government to conscience,” the document reads.

The striking doctors intend to march through the streets of Maputo City on Saturday, as a way of putting more pressure on the government.

Source: O País