Fatshimétrie: Doctors in training in Senegal demand better working conditions
The medical scene in Senegal is the scene of an unprecedented demonstration: doctors in specialization and hospital interns have decided to protest against their working conditions, which are considered unacceptable. The demands of these young professionals are clear: they are demanding a clear status and working conditions worthy of their daily commitment to the Senegalese health system.
The discontent grew when the authorities banned a march planned by the doctors, under the pretext of traffic problems. Despite this ban, around a hundred doctors in specialization and interns gathered at Fann hospital in Dakar to express their grievances to the press. Abdel Aziz Atteib Fall, president of the interns’ association, denounced this restriction on their freedom to demonstrate, emphasizing the absurdity of the idea that students could jeopardize the country’s health system.
At the heart of the demands is the need for a clear status for these doctors in training. Too often considered as simple students, they are demanding more recognition for the essential role they play in the functioning of the Senegalese health system. Working alongside experienced professionals, these young doctors deserve fair compensation for their work, as well as the guarantee of essential rights such as maternity leave.
The testimony of Mariétou Sarr, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, highlights the absurdity of a situation where pregnant women continue to work without receiving the rest necessary for their health and that of their baby. This reality highlights the urgent need to improve the working conditions of doctors in training, in order to guarantee adequate medical care for all medical staff and their families.
Through this mobilization, doctors in specialization and interns demonstrate their determination to make their voices heard and obtain concrete improvements for their well-being at work. It therefore appears essential that the competent authorities take these legitimate demands into consideration and work towards a lasting solution to guarantee an efficient and equitable health system in Senegal.