Senegal: SAMES doctors on 72-hour strike from September 28 to 30

Doctors, pharmacists, and dental surgeons in the Senegalese public service began a 72-hour strike across the country on September 28, 2026, following a call from the Autonomous Union of Doctors, Pharmacists, and Dental Surgeons of Senegal (SAMES). The movement is scheduled to run until September 30, reports the Senegalese Press Agency (APS).

A previous strike observed at 99.64%

This new walkout extends the one held on September 23 and 24, 2026, which the union claims was observed at 99.64% in public health facilities. Meeting on September 25, the national executive bureau praised a mobilization that, according to them, reflects the unity and discipline of its members, before calling for continued pressure.

The strike order was signed by the national secretary-general of SAMES, Dr. Diabèle Dramé, specifies the Senegalese daily Le Quotidien. The union announced it is acting in concert with the Collective of Specialist Doctors (COMES) and the association of hospital interns and assistants, according to Seneweb.

What remains covered in hospitals

During these three days, only emergency cases will be handled in public hospitals and health centers, according to the instructions from the national executive bureau relayed by the APS. Scheduled consultations, non-urgent procedures, and a portion of hospital activity are therefore suspended in a country where the public sector remains the only affordable gateway to healthcare for the majority of households.

A dialogue the union says is broken

SAMES justifies the renewal of the movement by what it describes as the state's lack of real willingness to provide satisfactory responses to its list of demands. "SAMES is determined. SAMES is united," the union asserts in its statement cited by Seneweb. The sources consulted do not detail the specific content of this platform, and no public reaction from the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene has been reported at this stage.

This standoff involves much more than a professional dispute. The right to health, enshrined among the commitments of African states, is played out concretely in the ability of public systems to retain their practitioners: when negotiations stall, it is the most vulnerable patients who pay the price, due to a lack of private alternatives. The end of the movement is set for September 30, 2026; the union does not rule out hardening its stance if discussions do not resume.