Doctors in Al-Sulaymaniyah strike over “unacceptable” 80-day salary delays, halting services

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Haiman Ibrahim, the mayor of the Penjwen district in Al-Sulaymaniyah, announced that doctors at the district's general hospital have initiated a strike after experiencing salary delays exceeding 80 days, during which they have only received one month’s pay.

The doctors expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation, which they described as “unacceptable,” affirming that this is the second strike the hospital has experienced in 2024.

In a statement to Shafaq News, Ibrahim explained that the doctors opted to strike in response to the persistent issue of delayed salaries, which has exacerbated the economic conditions for healthcare workers. “Consequently, most medical services at the hospital have been disrupted, except for emergency cases, including severe accidents and burn injuries,” he added.

In a related development, a source at the Kalar General Hospital informed Shafaq News, “The doctors at the hospital joined the strike at 8 PM yesterday, leaving behind their medical departments,” confirming that “they will not return to work until their overdue payments are fully settled.”

“Currently, the hospital is only admitting emergency cases, such as traffic accident injuries and severe burns, while all other medical services have been suspended due to the strike,” he pointed out.

In a statement from resident doctors in Al-Sulaymaniyah, they reiterated their commitment to the strike, which began on Tuesday at 4 PM, and urgently called on authorities to expedite a resolution to the salary crisis.

“Healthcare workers have been facing a severe financial crisis for over three months, with salaries for August and September still unpaid, despite having received July salary,” the statement noted.

These actions take place amid a severe financial crisis in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), where funding transfers from the central government in Baghdad have been suspended for over two weeks, worsening the Region's financial situation.

Despite repeated promises from officials to resolve the crisis, healthcare workers remain uncertain about the timing of their financial payments.

Notably, the salary delay crisis in the KRI is part of the broader economic challenges faced by the Region due to financial disputes between the regional and federal governments. This crisis has directly impacted employees in vital sectors such as health and education, prompting doctors to organize repeated strikes demanding their overdue payments. As the problem continues without a clear timeline for resolution, pressure is mounting on the government to find urgent solutions to ensure the continuity of essential services in the Region.