Ambassador Media – May 19, 2025
As hospitals across Ethiopia descend into disorder and patients are left untreated, the Ministry of Health remains in denial. In a broadcast on state television, Health Minister Mekdes Daba declared that there is “no service interruption in any part of the country.” But widespread reports from health facilities and professionals tell a different story — one of crisis, abandonment, and government failure.
Healthcare workers across the country — including doctors, nurses, and essential support staff — are on strike, protesting low wages, lack of resources, and what they describe as years of systemic neglect. Public hospitals in major cities like Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Hawassa, Dire Dawa, and Mekelle are operating with skeleton crews or have shut down key departments entirely.
Multiple sources within the health sector told Ambassador Media that the government has refused to engage in genuine dialogue or address the legitimate concerns of medical professionals. One source from a major referral hospital said, “We are being pushed to the limit. Instead of acknowledging our struggle, the government is choosing to lie to the public.”
Another health worker stated, “There are patients waiting in corridors, operations delayed indefinitely, and critical cases being referred to non-functional units. It’s chaos — and the authorities are pretending nothing is wrong.”
Despite the visible collapse of basic health services, the government continues to broadcast reassurances, which many now see as deliberate misinformation. Health professionals and civil society groups are accusing officials of spreading false narratives to deflect accountability.
Eyewitness accounts and social media posts reveal scenes of despair: families being turned away from hospitals, emergency cases going untreated, and rural clinics locked due to lack of personnel. Yet the Ministry of Health has not acknowledged these facts publicly.
The silence and deception are fueling growing public anger. Analysts warn that ignoring this crisis not only endangers lives but further erodes trust in public institutions. One health sector source summed it up: “We are witnessing a health system in free fall — and a government that refuses to admit it.”
The question now is not whether there is a health crisis — it’s whether those in power will face it or continue to hide behind a screen of lies.
