Mozambique’s government expressed surprise Tuesday at a strike by health workers that began Monday and said it was taking action to fill gaps left by strikers in the national health system.
“On the part of the government, the start of this strike came as a bit of a surprise because it was announced at a time when the dialogue is being conducted cordially (…) We did not expect this, but (…) they need to take measures to mitigate any harmful consequences that may arise as a result of the absence of a particular specialist,” said Filiman Suaze, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, after the body’s meeting on Tuesday in Maputo.
The strike comes after negotiations began in 2023 between the Mozambican government and the Association of United and Solidarized Health Workers of Mozambique (APSUSM), an association of some 65,000 professionals that went on strike from August to November. the latter for improving working conditions in the public sector.
According to APSUSM, at least 50,000 health workers have joined the strike, which began on Monday and will last 30 days, with the possibility of extension while negotiations with the government continue.
“We believe and expect that the issue will be resolved in the near future and activities will continue as usual. In such cases, we always take the opportunity to hug and praise those employees who, despite statements and agitations from other colleagues, were brought to their workplaces,” said Filiman Suaze.
The resumption of the strike was planned for March 28, but it was suspended a day earlier after negotiations with the Mozambican government, which culminated in the implementation of some points of demands, such as the qualifications of health workers, monitoring of visits to hospital wards. and eliminating irregularities in subsidy payments, APSUSM said at the time.
Nearly 30 days after the strike was suspended, Mozambican health workers once again complained of non-compliance with government demands and a failure to conduct monitoring visits to agreements between the parties, saying hospitals were “worse than when the dialogue began.” “.
Among other things, APSUSM requires the government to provide hospitals with medicines that patients in some cases have to purchase, purchase hospital beds, address the problem of “food shortages,” as well as medical equipment for emergency ambulances. single-use materials and personal protective equipment, shortages of which “force employees to purchase them out of their own pockets.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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