Maputo, 25 Aug (AIM) – The Association of United Mozambican Health Professionals (APSUSM) on Thursday declared, not only that it will continue its strike, but will withdraw even minimum services from the public hospitals.
Striking doctors, represented by the Mozambican Medical Association (AMM), returned to work on Thursday, but the impact of this decision was diminished by the threat of APSUSM chairperson, Anselmo Muchave, that all his members will now stay at home until the government meets all their demands.
Muchave, interviewed by the independent television station STV, said that, since the doctors were now back at work, they could do all the jobs usually done by APSUSM members – who include nurses, anaesthetists, laboratory technicians, stretcher bearers, ambulance drivers and many others.
“As from now, the health professionals, except the doctors will stay at home”, said Muchave. “The doctors will do the work of the drivers, the stretcher bearers and the morgue staff. All services, including the minimum services will be provided by the doctors”.
The idea that doctors will do every other job in the health service is clearly absurd, and the threat to withdraw minimum services is blatantly unethical.
APSUSM was unheard of a few months ago. Now it claims 65,000 members, which would make it the largest trade union in the country. It remains to be seen how many health workers will obey Muchave’s instructions.
The demands made by APSUSM include a revision of the placing of health professionals in the new unified wage table (TSU) for the public administration, and improvements in the supply of medicines and equipment in the health units. Last week Muchave demanded new beds for hospital patients.
The Health Ministry has repeatedly denied that there is any general shortage of essential medicines in the hospitals.
Muchave said that the change in the government’s negotiating team (which is now headed by Prime Minister Adriano Maleiane rather than by Health Minister Armindo Tiago) is not a good enough reason for APSUSM to suspend its strike.
Instead, he wanted to see all of APSUSM’s demands met. “Agreements are agreements, and must be honoured”, said Muchave – but he did not explain what agreements he had in mind. Certainly the government has not agreed to all of APSUSM’s demands.
If Muchave’s members do indeed all stay at home, that could put serious strain on the hospitals.
“There will be an overload of work on the doctors, and this will damage the quality of care”, warned Vanda Zitha, the Maputo city chief doctor, cited by STV.
“So we are urging the health professionals to come back to work, and to continue the negotiations while they remain at their posts”, she said.
(AIM)
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