In a tweet dated October 5, Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachie, warned healthcare staff against inciting compulsory strikes. “It has repeatedly come to me these days that some health personnel are inciting a strike to the point of threatening those who refuse to join them. While praising the republican spirit of the majority of health personnel, particularly those with precarious status, who know that I have their grievances at heart and are currently the subject of a sympathetic examination at the Presidency of the Republic. I would nevertheless like to warn, in compliance with the legally recognized right to strike, that those who incite compulsory strikes and recruit mercenaries to come and strike will encounter the coldness of the law,” the tweet reads.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to gradually improving the working conditions and environment for healthcare workers. “It is together that we will meet the challenges imposed on us by the current situation. I believe in you, in your spirit of discipline and your high republican spirit,” he added, urging the medical community to strive for a “robust and resilient health system,” in line with the directives of President Paul Biya.
The Cameroon Doctors’ Union (Symec) called for a public hospital strike on June 12, 2024, escalating a protest movement that began in 2022. In mid-April, doctors launched a protest, which was reignited on May 15, despite the health minister’s decision to assign key Symec leaders to remote areas. In 2023, repeated strikes reflected the strikers’ dissatisfaction, demanding urgent reforms due to poor working conditions.
Their key demands include regularizing the status of temporary staff, who unions say make up around 60% of the workforce—about 27,000 healthcare professionals often without contracts or fixed salaries. They are also calling for salary increases, raising the retirement age from 55 to 65, and the implementation of universal health insurance. Despite several mediation meetings, no concrete solutions have been reached, although steps have been taken to address salary issues for pending staff and automate career advancements within the Ministry of Public Health.
In a letter addressed to healthcare workers on January 8, Minister Manaouda emphasized the government’s efforts to improve their working conditions. “The government, under the guidance of the Prime Minister, will continue to ensure that your working conditions and most relevant expectations are progressively addressed, in order to resolve the various shortfalls that you rightly and responsibly highlight,” he wrote.
