Maputo: Doctors take to the streets to say ‘enough’ to government

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Maputo: Doctors take to the streets to say ‘enough’ to government

2:42 CAT | 07 Aug 2023

Photo: Luisa Nhantimbo / Lusa

After nearly a month on strike and with no response to their demands, almost 200 Mozambican doctors took to the streets of Maputo this Saturday to march in support of the position that “those who provide care also need to be cared for”.

The Mozambican doctors who called for the strike, while maintaining minimum services conditions in health units, are protesting mainly against salary cuts, in the scope of the application of the new civil service salary table, and lack of payment for overtime.

With songs, dances, shouts and boos to the executive of Filipe Nyusi, the doctors walked the streets of Maputo to demand restoration of rights they say the government has taken away from them.

Doctorss.lusa_ — *Photo: Luisa Nhantumbo / Lusa*

Without police intervention, the medical class even had the support of some members of the public who applauded the professionals from the balconies of their homes, on the streets and in commercial establishments.

Sporting the white clothes that identify them, the doctors displayed banners saying things like “We Do Not Trust Our Minister”, “Enough, Tiago Out”, “Yesterday’s Covid Heroes, Today’s Nobodies”, among other messages.

“Government is not approaching”

The doctors’ strike, which began on July 10, was extended by another 21 days a week ago.

During the demonstration this Saturday (05-08), the Chairman of the Order of Doctors, Gilberto Manhiça, said that the meetings to discuss their disagreement with the government “was an inappropriate environment for trust and respect between stakeholders”.

Doctor.dw_.dw_ — *Photo: Romeu da Silva/ DW*

Doctorsmaputo.lusa_ — *Photo: Luisa Nhantumbo / Lusa*

“If [the government] were approaching, I would say yes. Now, one of the questions we could ask is how does someone who is interested, or the entity is interested and it does not approach. The other is that it was noted, during the multiple meetings we had, an environment inappropriate for respect between the different stakeholders prevailed and trust was also re-established,” he observed.

For Manhiça, the “quality of medical assistance offered to the population” has “been increasingly compromised”, and this justifies the current protest.

“Unfortunately, we are witnessing more and more the degradation of the quality that we are obliged to offer our patients, that doctors, in a dignified way, can exercise their profession,” he said.

“Even now, when minimal services are being carried out, most of the people who are participating in them are completely exhausted. Therefore, there is a need for this to stop,” Manhiça said, insisting that the government create conditions for dialogue.

Another 21 days of strike for lack of dialogue

The vice-president of the AMM, Napoleão Viola, says that the government is clearly distancing itself from the class.

Doctors.dw_ — *It’s a march to dignify the medical profession,” said one of the doctors. [Photo: Romeu da Sílva/DW]*

Viola added that the main bottleneck at the moment was the Minister of Health, who has not proved capable of promoting dialogue to solve the problems of doctors.

The Mozambican government said that doctors who missed work due to the ongoing strike would be held accountable, and announced the hiring of new professionals.

Civil society also marched in support of the doctors, with the executive director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Adriano Nuvunga, describing the doctors’ struggle as one “of all Mozambicans”.

Nuvunga said that “the right to health is a constitutional right and this right is only realised if doctors are able to work”.

Doctorsmaputo.lusa_.lusa_ — *Photo: Luisa Nhantumbo / Lusa*

Activist Quitéria Guirengane criticised the government for not finding ways to solve the problems of doctors. “The government is reducing those who care for our greatest value, calling them a handful of unknowns,” he said

Guirengane said that the government disrespected doctors because “if our greatest value is in the hands of a handful of illustrious strangers, it is a complete lack of respect.”

The AMM, which called for the ongoing strike and this Saturday’s march, said that they had conceded some points on their list of demands, such as the reduction of the exclusivity subsidy from 40 to 5%, of the risk subsidy from 30 to 5%, and shift subsidy, which dropped from 30% to 5%.

The application of the new salary scale in the civil service (TSU) is another bone of contention, and is being strongly contested by several professions, in particular, doctors, judges and teachers.