The DRC is currently the scene of an unprecedented strike movement by doctors affiliated with SYMAMED, the National Union of Doctors. This strike, declared radical by the secretary general of this union, Dr. John Senga, aims to protest against the government’s indifference and its failure to respect its commitments to health professionals.
The situation is alarming: doctors feel ignored and abandoned, despite the efforts they make every day to provide quality care to the Congolese population. The lack of recognition of their work and the difficult socio-professional conditions in which they operate have finally pushed SYMAMED to toughen its stance and begin a total strike across the entire national territory, with the exception of a few specific areas.
The doctors’ demands are clear: they are asking for an improvement in their working conditions, particularly with regard to the payment of their supplementary pay over three months, in accordance with previous agreements. In addition, they are demanding that young doctors be aligned with the professional risk premium, as well as the regularization of the administrative situation of some of them who are still not paid despite their commitment to the State.
Faced with the government’s intransigence and its lack of consideration for doctors, SYMAMED has therefore taken the decision to toughen the strike movement in all public medical structures in the country. This decision was not taken lightly, but is the result of a long series of frustrations accumulated over months, even years.
It is now essential that the government becomes aware of the importance of the health sector and the need to invest in the well-being of its professionals to ensure quality care for the Congolese population. Doctors are not asking for the impossible, simply decent working conditions and recognition of the value of their commitment to serving the community.
In conclusion, the doctors’ strike in the DRC is a symbol of a deep malaise within the health sector, which deserves to be addressed urgently and effectively by the competent authorities. Let us hope that concrete and sustainable solutions will be found to put an end to this crisis and guarantee a better future for health in the Democratic Republic of Congo.