Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s Ministry of Health met on Monday with doctors working at Maputo Central Hospital (HCM) to stop a strike called by the profession, which is demanding payment of overtime, a source from the group told Lusa.
“During the meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Health [Ussene Hilário Isse] and the hospital management, they presented a proposal and we presented ours for them to pay what they owe us. They agreed to evaluate it and we are waiting for a response by the end of the day. The strike is not our goal and, therefore, we are open to negotiating a payment method.” But if there is no satisfactory response, we will move forward,” the spokesperson for the HCM group of doctors told Lusa.
The doctors at HCM, the largest hospital in the country and the main hospital in the Mozambican capital, threatened at the end of May to stop working overtime from June 1, demanding payment for overtime.
In a letter addressed to the director-general of the HCM, seen by Lusa, the professionals threatened to stop work from 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, as well as on public holidays and weekends, until the debt, which has been outstanding for 13 months, is settled.
“They say that the State has no money to pay the doctors, but the same State has money to move the torch from Cabo Delgado to Maputo.” This makes no sense,” added the group’s spokesperson, referring to the national torch, which has been travelling from the north and is expected to cross the entire country before reaching Maputo on June 25, culminating in the celebrations of 50 years of independence.
On May 27, the Mozambican government called for dialogue with doctors at Maputo Central Hospital (HCM).
“We have repeatedly said that the only alternative we have is to continue talking. There is no magic measure to stop any intention to demonstrate, whether for a right or for any other reason, especially in a context of limited resources, when we know that the solution necessarily involves making those resources available,” said Cabinet spokesman Inocêncio Impissa at the time.
For three years, the health sector has been facing strikes and walkouts called by the Association of United and Solidarity Health Professionals of Mozambique (APSUSM), which covers about 65,000 health professionals from different departments.
The Mozambican National Health System has also faced several moments of pressure in the last two years, caused by strikes by employees called by the Mozambican Medical Association (AMM) demanding improvements in working conditions.
The country has a total of 1,778 health units, 107 of which are health posts, three are specialised hospitals, four are central hospitals, seven are general hospitals, seven are provincial hospitals, 22 are rural hospitals and 47 are district hospitals, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health.
For More News And Analysis About Mozambique Follow Africa-Press
