The Autonomous Union of Doctors, Pharmacists and Dentists of Senegal (SAMES) held its National Congress this Saturday in a climate of great tension in the health sector.
This year’s theme is “Recruitment, motivation and retention of doctors, pharmacists and dentists: what sustainable union responses?” “.
The secretary general of SAMES, Demba Ndour, gave a critical assessment of the situation of practitioners in Senegal.
Diagnosing a system that is running out of steam
According to him, the Senegalese public hospital suffers from a glaring lack of attractiveness which pushes specialists towards the private sector or expatriation.
The trade unionist points out an unacceptable paradox: “while the ratios of health professionals per capita are historically low, many young graduates of medical schools remain unemployed or are forced to accept leonine and dehumanizing contracts which trample on their dignity”.
For SAMES, this precariousness organized by the State directly fuels a brain drain that the country can no longer afford.
“2026 will be a highly union year”
Demba Ndour issued a free warning to the authorities. The tone has gone up a notch regarding the social stability pact, of which SAMES was a key player.
The general secretary affirms that if the unions have respected their pacification commitments, the government side has not kept any of its promises.
Considering that it has given sufficient guarantees of good faith, SAMES warns that it will no longer allow itself to be misled by unfulfilled commitments.
Demba Ndour announced that the year 2026 will be a year of major demands where the union will be present “on the ground” to secure respect for its rights.
Despite this combat posture, the congress also wants to be a force for proposals.
SAMES calls on the State for deep introspection to curb the scourge of the brain drain and finally raise the salary of health workers, a fight waged tirelessly for nearly 20 years.
The trade union organization hopes that this congress will provide concrete solutions to reintegrate young graduates into the public sector and offer decent career prospects, otherwise the Senegalese health system risks irreversible collapse.
