Ethiopia: Health Professionals At Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital Hold Protest Ahead of Nationwide Strike Demanding Better Pay, Benefits, and Working Conditions
Addis Abeba– Health professionals at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, one of Ethiopia’s prominent public referral institutions, held a pre-strike demonstration early Monday, ahead of a nationwide strike planned for Tuesday by health workers across the country demanding improved salaries, benefits, and working conditions.
The demonstration, held within the hospital compound, saw participants carrying placards with messages such as “Healthy Citizens Build a Strong Economy!”, “We Save Lives But Can’t Afford Rent,” and “Stop Harassing Health Workers. We Deserve Protection,” among others.
Monday’s protest follows similar pre-strike actions held on 6 May at public hospitals across the country. In these demonstrations, health professionals reiterated long-standing demands for fair compensation, improved working conditions, and adequate benefits.
Over the weekend, health professionals at institutions in the Amhara region–including Debre Tabor Hospital, Debre Markos Hospital, Bahir Dar’s Tibebe Ghion Hospital, and Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital–also staged peaceful protests in solidarity with the national movement. Protesters raised concerns over delayed salaries, unfulfilled benefit payments, and deteriorating workplace conditions.
The ongoing mobilization began as a coordinated online campaign under hashtags such as #HealthWorkersMatter and #PayHealthWorkersFairly, raising demands that professionals say have remained unaddressed for over five years.
In response, the Ethiopian Health Professionals Association (EHPA) urged the government to swiftly respond to health workers’ calls, while emphasizing that the movement should continue in a manner that “does not harm the country and the community.”
The Ethiopian Health Professionals Movement also issued an open letter, setting a deadline of 11 May for the Ministry of Health to address twelve key demands. The letter stated that if “a satisfactory response” is not received, the group is “prepared to take appropriate legal measures.”
The letter outlines longstanding grievances, including low salaries, inadequate housing, lack of medical coverage, and what professionals described as conditions that force them to “live a life below human dignity.” It also calls for policy reforms, including a salary benchmarked to East African standards, proportional overtime compensation, housing and transport allowances, and legal accountability for mistreatment by administrative or security bodies.
Despite the peaceful protests and public calls, media reports indicate that Yonatan Dagnew, president of the EHPA, was arrested from his home on Saturday. BBC Afaan Oromoo, citing family members, also reported that three doctors–Dr. Bernabas Samuel, Dr. Melaku Almawu, and Dr. Habtamu Getachew–were detained on Friday in Arba Minch, accused of organizing the healthcare movement.
Speaking to Addis Standard, one health professional actively involved in the movement said the planned strike is intended to be “a partial strike which preserves emergency, labor, and ICU services,” adding that they “don’t think that’s harmful to the people.”
“We really care for our people,” the professional said, noting that their oath “obliged us not to harm patients, so we will never do that.” However, the source cautioned that if authorities “do any harm to those who are involved in the partial strike, we will be obliged to get into full strike,” adding that in such a case, “the government will be fully responsible for all deaths and morbidity that will happen owing to that.”
Crédito: Link de origem