Since late 2024, at least five individuals have been detained by the country’s intelligence service, with additional reports of others receiving threats. The detained individuals are medical professionals who had called for a fourfold increase in their salaries, as many were earning only $170 per month.

After their demands were not addressed by the government, the doctors resigned from their positions in private clinics but continued to work in public hospitals. In response, security forces began arresting them, accusing them of endangering national security.

A medical union claims that the doctors were detained without warrants and are currently being held in intelligence service facilities. A security official told Agence France-Presse that the doctors’ departure from their private sector roles may have contributed to patient fatalities. While the government has not made an official statement, a senior official from the Ministry of Health confirmed the arrests.

The doctors have now issued a warning that, unless their concerns are addressed, more may choose to cease working. One doctor remarked that the government should not be surprised if healthcare workers begin to seek employment opportunities in other countries offering better compensation.

The country has long struggled with a shortage of medical professionals. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, over 130 doctors left the country due to insufficient salaries.