The more than 1,000-strong Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) is demanding better pay and conditions and the sacking of Health Minister Hadji Mponda and his deputy, whom they accuse of being “enemies of doctors and the health sector as a whole”.
Hundreds of doctors went on strike last week, ignoring a court order to return to work, forcing public hospitals across the country to turn away patients and suspend normal services.
“We would like to announce to the Tanzanian public that we are returning to work … while the president addresses our demands,” MAT said in a statement emailed to Reuters on Monday.
Tanzanian doctors earn a starting salary of 957,900 shillings a month, compared to members of parliament who earn about three times as much plus allowances.
East African governments face mounting pressure from public sector workers and others over the rising cost of living.
Earlier this month Kenya said it would sack 25,000 striking public health workers.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete met union officials for seven hours on Friday, a union spokesman said.
“The government has been urging doctors to return to work and save lives … we are happy to see that doctors have now finally heeded this call,” Kikwete said in a televised national address late on Monday.
Previous talks with senior government officials, including the prime minister, ended in stalemate.
MAT said doctors also wanted more equipment and medicines to be made available in hospitals.
Teachers and some other public sector workers are also threatening industrial action.
Tanzania’s inflation rate hovered near 20 percent at the end of last year. The government hopes to bring it down to single digits by June this year.