Mozambique: Doctors approve 21 more days of strike, ask for President’s intervention – Watch

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Doctors approve 21 more days of strike, ask for President’s intervention – Watch

2:23 CAT | 21 Aug 2023

Screen grab: AMM

Mozambican doctors approved on Sunday (August 20) a new 21-day strike period, the third consecutive since July 10, directly appealing to the President, Filipe Nyusi, to end the current “crisis” that is paralysing hospitals.

“We decided to extend the strike for another 21 days, in the manner in which we had been exercising it previously, of course, with the provision of minimum services so that our population does not suffer anymore”, announced at the end of the general assembly yesterday, in Maputo, the president of the Medical Association of Mozambique (AMM), Milton Tatia.

“We launch an appeal to the one who, we believe, is the only person who can put an end to this crisis that we are experiencing for the National Health Service, “Launch an appeal to the one who we believe is the only person who can put an end to this crisis that we are experiencing for the National Health Service, which is His Excellency the President of the Republic. We want to publicly launch an appeal for him to put an end to this crisis,” he added.

Yesterday’s general meeting, with the participation of dozens of doctors, had as its only point on the agenda to decide on the extension of the class strike, which protests above all against salary cuts, within the scope of the application of the new civil service salary table, and non-payment of overtime, as well as in defence of the National Health Service and the status of doctors.

“We also want to appeal to our patients, our population, those who actually experience the day-to-day life of hospitals, who know the reality of hospitals, to join us, we are fighting for the people, we are fighting for our patients. We know that many times they don’t have the courage to speak, but we’ve already kick-started . We’ve already started talking about working conditions and we ask them to join us”, said Milton Tatia.

The leader of the Medical Association of Mozambique added that, since the beginning of this strike, on July 10 , that this Monday entered the third consecutive period of 21 days of stoppage, the class has witnessed “various intimidation, from threats of counting striking days as absences, salary discounts, contract terminations”, among others.

Death threats

“In recent days, the tone of the threat has increased. We have received information that a superior order has been given – those superior orders that have no face or name – for the three members of the AMM leadership to be shot down [‘abatidos’]. We are talking about the AMM president. myself, its vice president, doctor. Paulo Augusto, and its general secretary, doctor Napoleão Viola”, doctor Milton Tatia reported.

“About this threat, we want to say here, publicly, that we are not going to back down. We are aware that it is our duty, as doctors and as citizens, to fight for a better National Health Service and to fight for a better country, not only for us and for future generations”, he stressed.

The leader warned that “it is the decision of the medical class that where one goes, everyone goes, if tone falls, everyone falls”.

“And if any of these threats take effect, all health services will be closed in the country, including even private ones, in solidarity,” Tatia warned.

Health workers on strike too

Also yesterday, Mozambican health workers – around 65,000 servants, technicians and nurses – started a 21-day general strike, maintaining only minimal services in maternity wards, nurseries and emergencies.

They demand that the Government “satisfy” the claims of the sector, including those of the medical profession, as announced on Saturday by the president of the Association of United and Solidary Health Professionals of Mozambique (APSUSM), nurse Anselmo Muchave.

READ: Mozambique: Chairperson of Health Workers Association receives death threat

These professionals had already held a demonstration on June 1, which culminated in the first strike in the entire national territory to “denounce the state of slavery” to which they are “subjected during the provision of their services”.

The strike was suspended “by bilateral consensus” after a negotiating round three days later, “with the justification of giving the Government space to comply with the agreements reached, within a period of 15 days”, which Muchave guaranteed did not happen.

“Of all the concerns presented by APSUSM, none was satisfied with tangible results, since, on the Government side, there was only a report of verbal negotiations carried out with entities that could not be proven and that such negotiations actually took place”, Muchave explained.

“However, the Government has 4.5 billion meticais (64.6 million euros) to spend on next October’s elections, it also bought 45 luxury vehicles valued at 120 million meticais [1.7 million euros]. ,but does not have money to buy a simple hospital bed or a simple paracetamol”, stressed Anselmo Muchave.

Among the APSUSM demands are the government “providing medicines” to hospitals, which have to be purchased by patients, acquisition of hospital beds, solving the “lack of food and adequate food” in health units, equipping ambulances with emergency means for rapid life support and non-disposable personal protective equipment, whose lack of supply is “forcing employees to buy out of their own pocket”.

“The Government made no effort to resolve the agreements reached, results in accordance with the agreed terms”, he underlined, recalling that – during the June negotiations – the Association had reiterated that if “within the 60 days requested” by the executive “there were no implementation and execution of the agreements the next day after the end of the period the strike would resume”.

Source: Lusa / gabinfoAMM