Doctors strike over poor pay

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE - Doctors in Mozambique went on strike on Monday (20 May) demanding higher pay and accusing the government of reneging on a January promise to double their wages, the medical association said.

"The strike is going ahead. The strike will only stop when the government answers our demands," the spokesman for the Mozambican Medical Association, Paulo Gudo, told AFP.

Doctors say the government has failed to fulfil its promise made after a nine-day strike in January.

Last month their salaries were hiked by 15%.

Local media has reported that doctors are demanding a monthly basic wage of US$3,000 while the government was offering between US$670 and US$1,275.

Mozambique has a total of 1,200 doctors in both public and private practice countrywide, with a ratio of one doctor to 22,000 people.

Prime Minister Alberto Vaquina has urged doctors not to take part in the strike, saying they have a responsibility towards patients.

Military medics are likely to step in to provide services during the strike.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge