Striking Doctors in the Democratic Republic of Congo called off a three-week-old industrial action on Wednesday. The strikes over wages brought hospitals to a near standstill during the country’s third wave of coronavirus.
In a statement issued by the head of the Synamed physicians’ union, Mankoy Badjoki, he said the strike has been suspended across the country following negotiations with the government and all doctors have been asked to return to work.
According to him, the government promised bonuses ranging from 200,000 to 640,000 Congolese francs as well as promotions for a number of Doctors.
During the strike, physicians attended to only “extremely urgent” cases, in hospitals that were pre-designated on a rotational basis.
Covid-19 has infected nearly 51,000 people in the DRC, with 1,045 deaths. Frontline health workers have been promised the payment of three months’ salary on the seven months that were initially owed to them.