News: Tigray's Ayder Hospital suspends services as staff strike enters third day over unpaid salaries, transport shortages

Addis Abeba– Health workers at Ayder Referral Hospital in Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, have been on strike since February 20, 2025, citing unpaid salaries, disrupted benefits, lack of overtime payments, and the absence of transportation services.

The strike has led to the suspension of hospital services, including emergency care, according to hospital officials and staff who spoke with Addis Standard.

“Hospital services have been suspended since February 20, and workers have decided to remain off duty until we receive responses to our concerns,” Rishan Kahsay, a nurse at Ayder Referral Hospital, told Addis Standard.

Rishan said employees held a rally on February 20, marching to Mekelle University to present their grievances. However, she stated that they received an “unsatisfactory response” from university officials, prompting them to continue their protest within the hospital compound on February 21.

She added that on the second day of the strike, Tekeste Berhan (PhD), Vice President of Mekelle University, met with the workers but told them “the issue is beyond the university’s capacity.” Following this response, Rishan said employees took their demands to the Regional Interim Administration office, but “no one met us at the President’s Office,” and they were given an appointment for February 24.

Rishan also stated that the lack of transportation services has made it difficult for medical staff to reach patients. “For the past eight months, employees have been requesting at least transport services, as many struggle to arrive on time due to the lack of options,” she explained.

Berhane Gebremeskel, Public Relations Head at Ayder Referral Hospital, told Addis Standard that hospital services, including emergency care, “have been disrupted due to the strike.” He attributed the crisis to “rising fuel prices and employees’ concerns over low wages,” which he said “have not kept pace with increasing transportation costs.”

Berhane added that workers are demanding “reliable transportation to ensure timely arrival at the hospital” and the payment of “17 months of unpaid salaries.” He said employees marched to Mekelle University on February 20 before continuing their demonstration within the hospital, chanting slogans such as “Listen to our voices! We cannot serve patients properly! We are facing serious problems!”

A previous Addis Standard report stated that Ayder Referral Hospital, one of the largest healthcare facilities in the Tigray region, is facing severe shortages of medicine, food, and funding, which the report attributed to budget cuts and the impact of the two-year war in Tigray. The report noted that these financial constraints have forced staff and patients to make difficult choices in accessing critical care.

According to the report, the hospital’s financial struggles stem from government budget cuts following the Pretoria peace agreement, which it said reduced capital expenditures by 50% and recurrent spending by 40%.

The report also highlighted that the crisis at Ayder is part of a broader healthcare emergency in Tigray, where, according to assessments cited in the report, the war left 86% of health facilities damaged or partially destroyed, with only 3% fully functional. AS