Sudan doctors’ strike into fifth day

The doctors' strike in Sudan has entered its fifth day with an increase of the number of the hospitals joining the strike.

The Central Committee of Doctors announced that hospitals of Central Sudan and East Darfur states joined the strike on Monday.

The committee revealed that more than 26 health centres in Khartoum have joined the strike, along with the strike finding solidarity from the Sudanese bones and chest surgical societies and private clinicians in El Gedaref and Atbara.

Central Committee media spokesman Dr Mohammad El Naji El Asam said the committee met with the Federal Health Minister without reaching an agreement with him on Sunday. This along with the failure of mediation by a group of specialists to resolve the problem.

The national service coordination tried to break the strike of doctors in the hospitals of Omdurman, Hassahisa, El Obeyed and Jebel Oliya by threatening the hospital doctors to stop them from work, but the doctors didn't respond to the threat and continued to strike.

The doctors’ central committee said that people interacted with the strike and understood the reasons that led the doctors to stop work.

Also the committee stressed that all the interns and specialists who have been stopped by authorities and treated in an abusive manner will be included in claims filed to be returned to service with their rights and time maintained.

The committee stressed that the strike is a right guaranteed to every doctor and that the abusive dealing would encourage them to adhere to their right.

Dr Ahmad El Sheikh, the chairman of the Legitimate Sudanese Doctors’ Union demanded that the private sections constructed in some teaching hospitals should belong to the public sector and that the emergency section should be free for all people.

He denounced some of the remedial solutions to some issues that led to the strike. He confirmed that the strike will continue until the doctors’ demands will be met.