Mozambique’s Order of Nurses on Wednesday called on people engaged in post-election protests in the country to clear the roads and allow nurses to reach health facilities, arguing that healthcare is a right.
Mozambique, especially Maputo, has been the scene of demonstrations and marches called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane that have led to clashes with the police, who accuse those involved of preventing the movement of people and goods by putting up barricades on public roads.
In a news release sent to Lusa, the nurses call on the demonstrators to “facilitate the movement of nursing professionals who are scheduled to cover patient care services from their homes to the health units.
“Recognise that the citizen’s right to health care must be guaranteed on a continuous basis, especially for hospitalised patients and all those in urgent and emergency situations,” the organisation’s document adds.
Nurses have reported difficulties in getting to health facilities due to the demonstrations, pointing to numerous cases of professionals not working their shifts, generating work overload and jeopardising the provision of health services.
The Order is thus asking the demonstrators to open the roads to professionals, provided they show their badges or licences.
Mondlane, the presidential candidate, had called for a new phase of electoral protest for a week, ending on Wednesday, in “all neighbourhoods” of Mozambique, with motor traffic to be paralysed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The announcement by Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) on 24 October of the results of the 9 October elections, in which it awarded victory to Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since 1975) in the election for president, with 70.67% of the votes, sparked popular protests.
According to the CNE, Mondlane came second with 20.32%, but the latter has refused to recognise the results, which have yet to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
Lusa
