Doctors strike means even basic care will be non-existent

Reports on 19 August 2008 indicate that a doctors' strike in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has spread from its initial concentration in the capital, Kinshasa, to hospitals and clinics nationwide. The National Syndicate of Doctors (SYNAMED) reports that all doctors in Kinshasa are observing the strike -- which officially began on 17 August -- and that medical workers in several other cities are also participating in the strike to protest over low pay and poor working conditions. SYNAMED officials have stated that the strike will last for two weeks.