Dear gov't, doctors: Ntwakgolo ke ya molomo

With both sides entrenched in legal battles and public spats, the risk to public health, trust in institutions, and the welfare of doctors grows by the day. It's time for cooler heads to prevail. The government and BDU must return to the negotiating table, not with threats, but with a shared commitment to resolve this crisis fairly and urgently.

At the heart of this dispute lies a simple truth: doctors aren't just employees but guardians of public health. Their demand for fair working conditions, including reasonable emergency call hours, isn't unreasonable. Yet the government’s insistence that emergency duties are non-negotiable, citing a 2023 court ruling, ignores the need for flexibility in addressing genuine grievances. The BDU rightly points out that doctors are complying with existing laws and court orders; they aren't on strike. Framing their resistance as “illegal” only deepens mistrust.