The trade union organizations gathered within the And Gueusseum-Satsus junction of struggles, in a peaceful national march in Thiès, this Wednesday, January 14, 2026, called on the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, regarding the legitimate demands, according to them, of health and social action workers.

The union members say they have observed, on the one hand, "serious abuses at the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (ARP) under the astonished gaze of the Minister of Health and Social Action, and, on the other hand, a clear attempt to poach the national centers for social reintegration (CNRS) by administrative decision of the Minister in charge of Employment and Training, in flagrant violation of the conventions and texts in force".

"Several residual commitments and agreements, particularly those stemming from the Government - And Gueusseum - SATSUS protocols of agreement, remain, to this day, unexecuted; the social climate has dangerously deteriorated due to the failure to implement the signed agreements, the recurring violations of the Labor Code, the general status of the Civil Service, and the dilatory and/or divisive maneuvers of workers orchestrated by the Government," note the health workers.

He also continued: "The workers have given an imperative mandate to their organizations to continue the struggle until the effective implementation of the remaining agreements, in the face of: a Minister of Public Service who is politically and technically deficient; a Minister of Health who is absent from negotiations; and a Minister of Finance who is indifferent to his role of joint financial oversight of public health establishments."

According to them, the subsidies allocated to hospitals, which are meager and lack relevant allocation criteria, do not cover any expenses related to the public hospital service mission, thus exacerbating the structural fragility of the healthcare system. The combined efforts specifically demand, for the Thiès region: the upgrading of the Ahmadou Sakhir Ndiéguène Regional Hospital to level 3, with the immediate assignment of a pulmonologist.

Also, the upgrading of the technical facilities of the health centers in Khombole, Thiès, Mékhé, Joal and Pout; the complete rehabilitation of the Mame Abdoul Aziz Sy hospital in Tivaouane; the effective activation of the opening of the El Hadj Malick Sy hospital in Tivaouane, unjustly kept closed despite the pressing needs of the population; the urgent establishment of a Regional Emergency Regulation Center (CRU) for the Thiès region; the substantial and sustainable increase of the endowment funds allocated to the health sector in the Thiès region, which are currently notoriously insufficient.

Healthcare workers are demanding the establishment of doctoral and engineering schools at ENDSS and ENTSS in the fields of hygiene, hospital maintenance, and health sciences. They strongly condemn the abuses, irregularities, and opaque practices of the Director General of the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (ARP); the government's silence, procrastination, and delaying tactics; and the Ministry of Health's lax approach to managing the situation at the ARP and the so-called SOFTCARE affair, which poses a major health risk to the population.

They firmly oppose and say "no" to the renewal of the contract between POLIMED and the Mbour hospital, a contract deemed opaque, detrimental to the public hospital service, and contrary to the principles of health sovereignty and good governance. They remind the Minister of Finance of his legal obligations and civic duty in settling outstanding agreements with financial implications, a prerequisite for fairness, social justice, and lasting social peace in the vital health and social services sector.

The conjunction of struggles welcomes the adoption in the Council of Ministers of the draft decree on the integration of senior health technicians, pending its effective signature; and the signing of decree no. 2606 of January 7, 2026, granting the housing allowance to civil servants and non-civil servants previously omitted, while demanding immediate action for its effective payment.

The And Gueusseum-Satsus coalition remains mobilized, vigilant, and determined. It holds the government fully responsible for any deterioration of the social climate, any disruption of healthcare services, and any health consequences resulting from its failure to honor its commitments.