Doctor’s Strike in Mali Continues

The ongoing doctor’s strike in Mali has wreaked havoc on the country’s healthcare system, with hospitals and surgeries being left virtually devoid of doctors.

The strike officially started on the 9th of March and has caused various hospitals and clinics around the country to come to a standstill.

The worst affected hospitals and clinics are those situated in the capital city of Bamako and other cities close to the capital.

At one of the country’s biggest hospitals, the Gabriel Toure Hospital in Bamako, almost all consultations were cancelled yesterday, due to the lack of medical professionals. Essential emergency services were still available, yet limited.

Various locals, looking for medical attention, voiced their frustration over the lack of medical help available at the hospital.

One couple had brought their sick baby to the hospital, but were unable to get the medical assistance they needed.

“Our child is sick. He needs blood, but because of the strike, it’s difficult,” the couple said to the media.

The strike was initiated by the country’s two main health unions.

These unions are demanding substantial pay raises for medical staff as well as more jobs for contract workers in the country’s health sector.

Some of the doctors and nurses involved in the strike are also calling for free healthcare packages for doctors and nurses.

While the unions are not backing down on their demands, it seems that the government will not give in, either. A government official has told the media that the state “does not have the means to meet the strikers’ demand [sic].”