Tanzania civil society groups take to the streets over doctors strike

Tipping point. Many patients have been wasting away in hospitals as doctors lay down tool in demand of pay rise. They appealed to visiting parliamentary committee members to help in ending the strike as soon as possible.

Doctors on Wednesday abandoned a sit-down strike and joined activists on the streets to protest government’s failure to take quick actions to address their grievances.

Following a working cabinet meeting in Dodoma on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mizengo Puinda, who chaired the meeting, flew to Dar es Salaam the following day. His office did not give details on the purpose of the journey.
In Dar es Salaam, the activists blocked a section of Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road at busy Selander bridge intersection for about an hour before police managed to persuade them to disperse. They were carrying placards blaminggovernment for indecisiveness on the issue while people have been losing their lives at Muhimbili National Hospital for lack of services.

However, before they left the road, the activists from 14 civil society organisations gave the government 24 hours to resolve the strike in order to avert the growing crisis.

Turning heat on MPs
The activists called on President Jakaya Kikwete to fire top official in the Ministry of Health, including health chief Hadji Mpoda, his deputy, Dr Lucy Nkya, the permanent secretary, Ms Blandina Nyoni, and the chief government medical officer, Dr Deo Mutasiwa.

They accused the Speaker of the National Assembly, Anne Makinda, of not considering the issue as an emergency. Makinda has turned down numerous requests by MPs to have Parliament suspend other business in order to tackle the doctors strike issue.

The demonstrating activists were led by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), Tanzania Gender Network Programme and Tanzania Media Women Association (Tamwa).

Ms Ananilea Nkya, the Tamwa executive director, said they wanted to send a message to government.

In Dodoma, Parliament yesterday recalled its committee on social services from Dar es Salaam where it had gone to find ways and means of resolving the strike. Other sources said a working cabinet meeting under the chair of PM Pinda on Tuesday gave a number of proposals on how government top leadership should handle the issue.

Pinda reportedly flew to Dar es Salaam on Wednesday to brief Kikwete on what had transpired during the working cabinet meeting.

Bernard Lugongo and Daria Erasto and Lucas Liganga