Simão Mendes Hospital, Guinea-Bissau: 400 trainees on strike for their integration

Since August 3, nearly 400 trainee technicians at the Simão Mendes National Hospital, Guinea-Bissau's main hospital, have suspended their work. Their coordinator, Amadu Mané, announced that the strike will continue until August 28, 2026, if the government fails to provide a concrete response.

The strikers are demanding official integration into the public health system and the regularization of their contracts. Some have been working for over seven years without status or pay. "We suspended our services because we have received no response to the requests submitted to the government and ministerial authorities," said Amadu Mané.

Without a salary or contract, many struggle to get to the hospital daily, and some sleep in precarious conditions. The coordinator compares their situation to that of a patient deprived of care: "If a person is sick and doesn't receive medical treatment, their illness worsens and can even become fatal. That's what's happening to us."

The government promised a solution within thirty days, but no progress has been made. Meetings with clinical management and the Ministry of Public Health have failed to unblock the process. The trainees denounce the interminable wait and point out that they have served the public for years, meeting citizens' needs without institutional recognition.

This strike movement highlights a structural crisis: without stabilization of these technicians, the quality of care in the country's largest hospital risks deteriorating further.