Tunisian Hospitals in Crisis: Young Doctors Warn of Systemic Collapse
Public hospitals face severe staff shortages and deteriorating infrastructure as young doctors stage protests and demand urgent reforms from the Ministry of Health.
Watan-Wajih Dakkar, President of the Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors, stated that the country’s public hospitals are in a very deteriorated state and are suffering from a severe shortage of medical staff—conditions that negatively impact the quality of care available to Tunisian citizens.
In an exclusive statement to Al-Quds Al-Arabi, he said:“Public hospitals are experiencing a dangerous level of desertification, particularly due to a lack of new hires and the continued emigration of skilled medical professionals.
This results in significantly reduced services—emergency wait times are prolonged, medical examination appointments are delayed, surgeries are postponed, and patients often have to buy their own surgical medications from outside the hospital due to shortages.”
Recently, the Young Doctors’ Organization organized a protest march in the capital that coincided with a general strike in medical faculties and hospitals across Tunisia. Hundreds of young doctors took part.
Dakkar explained:“The May 2 protest march capped off a successful strike across all medical faculties and university hospitals, with participation from medical students, residents, and interns. We presented three key demands to the Ministry of Health: the establishment of a clear and transparent accreditation system for training rotations, as they are currently used as a tool of coercion to force young doctors to work under illegal and inhumane conditions and to remain silent about violations.”
He added:“We also demand improved financial conditions for young doctors—better grants and monthly salaries—and a review of the compulsory military service that doctors must complete after graduation, which pays only about 700 dinars ($230).”
The Ministry of Health expressed understanding during a negotiation session with striking doctors, acknowledging the legitimacy of their demands. However, it cited administrative obstacles as the reason for the delay in implementation.
As a result, the organization announced plans for a new five-day strike, the date of which will be announced soon. They also plan to boycott training centers starting in July, meaning that public hospitals will be left without residents and interns—a form of protest against the dire conditions they are facing.
