16 West Darfur medics resign en masse

On Monday, 16 general practitioners in West Darfur collectively submitted their resignation to the state’s Ministry of Health. One of the doctors explained to Radio Dabanga that they had decided to quit their jobs after they had understood that the Ministry will not meet their demands concerning improvement of the services at the government-run hospitals, the provision of life-saving drugs, and an increase of their allowances. The medics had submitted a memorandum to the Ministry early September. When no reaction came, they embarked on a strike on 23 September. Representatives of the Ministry agreed to solve the problems soon, whereupon the striking doctors gave the health authorities a deadline of one week to implement their promises.  West Darfur state’s Minister of Health Osama Adam acknowledged the “legitimacy of the doctors’ demands and their decision to resign”. He noted, however, that in the civil service, employees cannot collectively submit their resignation. File photo: Doctors offer medical assistance to a woman in Kassab camp for the displaced, North Darfur (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related: West Darfur doctors strike (24 September 2014)