Ethiopian doctors arrested amid nationwide pay dispute

In mid-May, as Dr. Tewodros tended to patients in an Addis Ababa emergency room, two officers walked in and arrested him. Colleagues attempted to intervene, but he was taken away and detained in a local station for over three weeks, with no explanation. Reflecting on the ordeal, he told Al Jazeera: "That was the moment I felt helpless... the moment I was ashamed of my country.”

According to the Ethiopian Health Professionals Movement (EHPM), Dr. Tewodros was among more than 140 physicians detained during a sweeping crackdown that took place between May and June. The group launched Health Voice Ethiopia, a website used to track their colleagues in detention, monitor their prison time, and publish anticipated release dates.

All have since been freed, and the strikes were suspended after the government promised to attend to their grievances. But according to several doctors interviewed by Al Jazeera, no definitive commitment has been made.

World Bank data indicate that Ethiopian doctors are among the lowest-paid in East Africa, with some earning as little as $60 a month. By comparison, physicians in neighboring Kenya make an average of $1,800. The stark disparity has fueled widespread frustration, as many Ethiopian doctors struggle to meet even their most basic needs. Despite government assurances to address the issue, healthcare workers say no tangible measures have been implemented.

Human Rights Watch's Laetitia Bader told Al Jazeera that the government should cease harassing and incarcerating healthcare staff and their representatives; they should instead engage with them in a constructive dialogue addressing their grievances.