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Doctors refuse Egyptian PM's request to suspend strike The partial strike will continue, although talks between doctors' representatives and the cabinet will start on Monday
Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab has called on doctors to suspend an ongoing strike for three months so the government can study their demands and attempt to reach a solution. Doctors and other health professionals who work in government hospitals have been holding a partial open-ended strike since last week, demanding higher wages and increased government spending on healthcare. "Prime Minister Mahlab would like to know more about the problems of the doctors and to familiarise himself with these problems in a way that contributes to raising the standard of health systems in Egypt," said a statement issued on Sunday night by the cabinet on behalf of the prime minister. According to the statement, Mahlab and the health minister met with a delegation from the Doctors Syndicate on Sunday to discuss the issue. "The nation at this stage demands from its children more solidarity and cooperation under one aim, which is to complete the [transitional] roadmap and to start in rebuilding the country politically and economically," read the statement. However, Ahmed Shosha, the head of the committee organising the strike, told Al-Ahram Arabic that the representatives of the medical syndicates had rejected the request that the strike be suspended. Shosha said that the prime minister had delegated Minister of Finance Hani Kadri to be part of the talks between the government and the representatives of the Doctors Syndicate on Monday. The delegation that met the prime minister from the medical syndicates included representatives from the Doctors Syndicate, the Cairo branch of the Doctors Syndicate, and the Pharmacists Syndicate. Mohamed Souedi, the secretary-general of the Pharmacists Syndicate, stated that the prime minister showed an understanding of the demands of the three medical syndicates, "pharmacists, doctors and dentists." As well as participating in the strike of medical professionals working in government hospitals, pharmacists are also holding a partial open-ended strike demanding better wages and calling for amendments to the tax system for pharmacists and pharmacies. "The prime minister requested we suspend the partial strike but we told him that we have to be delegated to take such decisions," Souedi told Al-Ahram, adding that the partial, open-ended strike of pharmacists will continue. Strikes by medical professionals, particularly doctors, have been commonplace since the 2011 revolution. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/96866.aspx
