What You Need to Know
Around 125 final-year medical students at Beira Central Hospital have initiated an indefinite strike, demanding payment of allowances that have been overdue for ten months. The students, some camping outside the Ministry of Health in Maputo, express frustration over the government’s failure to meet their contractual obligations and the dire conditions they face during their internships.
Africa-Press – Mozambique. Around 125 final-year medical students, undertaking internships at Beira Central Hospital, began an indefinite strike today, demanding payment of allowances overdue for ten months, with part of the group camped outside the Ministry of Health in Maputo.
“Final-year medical students are entitled to remuneration, which is 80% of doctors’ salaries. In June last year, we signed contracts with the expectation that by around October we would start receiving payments, but so far we have received nothing,” Araújo Macuácua, one of the finalists and a member of the group of around 20 students camped outside the Ministry of Health since this morning, told Lusa.
He added that since last year the group, working at Beira Central Hospital, the largest in the central region of the country, has held more than 30 meetings with the Mozambican Government, both in person and virtually, but stressed that the executive “always promises tomorrow”.
“We have now spent ten months in Sofala Province without a single cent,” he said, noting that the group will only leave the ministry and end the strike once the outstanding allowances are paid.
Macuácua added that shortages of medicines and medical and surgical supplies at the hospital worsen the situation for trainees, who are often forced to cover basic clinical costs out of their own pockets, a reality that, he said, particularly affects students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“The Government is unable to supply medicines or promises to deliver medicines and medical and surgical materials within 18 months. Imagine a farmer’s child — how are they supposed to cope? Because we have to bring our own medical and surgical materials; the hospital provides nothing, only the training placement,” he explained.
According to Macuácua, many striking students were unable to travel to Maputo due to a complete lack of means, with those present having to sell personal belongings and resort to informal lenders to finance the journey.
The finalist added that despite the extremely precarious conditions, the group has decided to remain outside the Ministry of Health, even without minimum facilities, having only two mats to rest on and limited water supplies. He said the students are determined to stay overnight for as many days as necessary until they receive a favourable response from the Government regarding the payment of the overdue allowances.
The health sector has faced strikes and stoppages for the past four years, called by the Association of United and Solidarity Health Professionals of Mozambique (APSUSM), while the Mozambican National Health System has also experienced several periods of pressure over the past three years due to strikes by workers organised by the Mozambican Medical Association (AMM), demanding improved working conditions.
The health sector in Mozambique has been plagued by strikes and protests over the past few years, primarily driven by demands for better working conditions and timely remuneration for healthcare professionals. The Association of United and Solidarity Health Professionals of Mozambique (APSUSM) has been at the forefront of these movements, highlighting systemic issues within the National Health System. The ongoing challenges faced by medical trainees, including inadequate supplies and support, reflect broader concerns about the sustainability and effectiveness of healthcare delivery in the country.
