Sudanese doctors say 60 hospitals participate in renewed strike
November 2, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – In their second day of renewed strike action, the independent doctors union, Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) Wednesday announced that the refusal to non-emergency treatments in hospitals was a complete success..
The CCSD said that doctors in teaching hospitals have also joined the growing movement.
In a report released on Wednesday; the striking doctors said that 60 public hospitals have participated in the strike on Tuesday. They also warned against attempts by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) to intimidate the doctors and bread the movement.
On Tuesday, the doctors accused the government of failing to meet its pledges to improve hospital physicians working condition. On 13 October, they suspended their protest after meeting the Vice-President Hassabo Mohamed Abdel Rahman and Health Minister Bahr Idriss Abu Garda who vowed to respond positively to their claims.
The doctors have refused non-emergency treatments to patients to protest the poor working conditions and lack of medicines medical material. They also demand protection after the increase of attacks by frustrated patients and their families.
In a report on the strike progress extended to Sudan Tribune, the CCSD said it had informed the Federal Ministry of Health since Monday on the strike, citing the claims and the time frame of the protest.
“60 hospitals and thousands of doctors have participated in the strike across Sudan,” said the report, pointing that other several hospitals have not been included in the report yet.
The CCSD said that management in some hospitals have responded positively to the announced strike and cooperated with the striking doctors.
But, in some hospitals doctors were prevented from wearing a strike-badge and have been called to treat emergency cases to in a bid to break the protest, however “the doctors behaved professionally and did not respond to provocation,” he group added.
CCSD statement further said that the security apparatus tries to intimidate the striking doctors from various hospitals and summons them, including the chairman of the doctors’ union Dr. Ahmed al-Sheikh.
(ST)