Maputo — Resident doctors at Beira Central Hospital (HCB), the largest health unit in central Mozambique, have decided to suspend the strike that was scheduled to start on Saturday, since the government has paid three months of the overtime debt that it owes them.

The doctors had promised to suspend everything other than routine activities. This would mean cancelling emergency operations and suspending all work outside of normal working hours, in pursuit of demands for overtime pay owed since 2023.

The problem dates from the introduction of the new unified wage scale (TSU) two years ago. The doctors claim that in the past the overtime was paid as a fee, "but that system was abolished, and since then we have never received it.'

According to the doctors, the decision to suspend the strike was made when the government promised to pay part of the debt. "Our colleagues, with good sense, decided to call a truce and return to work. We agreed to meet to review the details and set new negotiation deadlines', said a doctors' representative.

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The doctors revealed that the payment only covers three months' worth of payments owed for 2025, while the debt dates from 2023.

"We believe that, based on the information presented and the inspection documents, the government will continue the payment process. For now, we have decided to give this credit to the management and maintain dialogue', another source said, cited by the independent newsheet "Carta de Moçambique.'

The representative of the HCB resident doctors confirmed that not all professionals received their payments simultaneously. Most received their payments on Friday, while some received their payments on Saturday, and others should be paid during this week.