Sames announces 48-hour strike on September 8 and 9, 2026

The Autonomous Union of Doctors, Pharmacists and Dental Surgeons of Senegal (Sames) has announced a 48-hour strike scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The organisation is demanding that its list of claims be met.

According to the union, minimum services will be maintained over the two days and emergency cases will continue to be treated. Members have also been asked to wear red armbands.

Mobilisation to begin on September 2

Sames Secretary-General Dr Diabel Dramé said zone and section offices would hold local press briefings from September 2. These meetings are intended to support the national strike call announced at the headquarters of the National Confederation of Workers of Senegal.

The National Executive Bureau is due to assess the action on September 10 to determine what steps to take next.

Demands over professional practice and sector resources

Sames says it has resorted to strike action because, in its view, the authorities failed to provide a satisfactory response after its notice expired on August 9. Its demands notably concern working conditions, the allowance system, human resources management, training and infrastructure.

The union links improvements in practitioners’ working conditions to the quality of care, the availability of medicines and oral health. The mobilisation extends a dispute already marked by a strike call on July 10, amid criticism over compliance with state commitments under the Social Stability Pact.

Action also announced in Ziguinchor

At the Hôpital de la Paix in Ziguinchor, the inter-union body, of which Sames is a member, has also announced several strike actions in September. The organisations concerned estimate losses linked to administrative delays at more than 100 million CFA francs per facility, an issue they place among the concerns relating to the operation of healthcare establishments and resource management.