‘2016 will be the year of health and education’: Central Darfur Governor

The Governor of Central Darfur has called the strike of the medical staff at a number of hospitals in the state “illegal”. Yet, the state government is committed to pay the delayed bonuses. Next year, a reference hospital and a medical college will be established in the state.

Radio Dabanga reported yesterday that medical doctors working in Zalingei, Garsila, and Nierteti embarked on an open strike last Tuesday, in protest against the non-payment of their bonuses during the past four months. One of the striking medics pointed out that the total of the withheld bonuses amounts to SDG350,000 ($57,330).

Governor Jaafar Abdelhakam told Radio Dabanga from the state capital Zalingei today that salary bonuses are set by the state government, and are not a right to be claimed by state employees.

He pointed out that only the medical interns and the doctors doing their obligatory national service are striking, not the general practitioners and the specialists.

The Central Darfur authorities are committed to pay the bonuses to the strikers, he added.

Abdelhakam admitted that the state's hospitals are facing skilled staff, equipment, and medicine shortages, in particular the Zalingei Hospital”. He said that the establishment of a reference hospital and a medical college has been ratified, describing 2016 as “the year of health and education”.