CAIRO: The Egyptian Supreme Council of Health met on Saturday May 14, after a hiatus of more than 15 years. The council's first meeting, attended by Health Minister Ashraf Hatem, decided in coordination with the ministry of finance, to increase the health budget by 10 billion Egyptian pounds in the coming financial budget for 2011 – 2012. One of the most important topics for discussion was the issue of increasing the wages of doctors, creating proper conditions for their work, and securing hospitals. The meeting also discussed with regard to citizens the subject of free treatment and treatment at the expense of the state and emergency conditions. On the other hand, the Socialist forces, coalitions and youth movements “front” announced they will organize a protest at 3:30 in the afternoon, on Monday in front of the Doctors' Syndicate in solidarity with the partial-strike of doctors to begin on Tuesday. “The protest is to reaffirm that the strike of doctors is not a ‘factional' strike, but to defend the right of Egyptians to improve health services provided to them, which can be seen by the demands espoused by the strike,” said the statement of the Front. In the forefront of these demands, according to the Front, are raising the share of the health ministry of the state budget until reaching a budget that is equal to the ministries of health in developed countries, “providing proper treatment and health services including nurseries, providing intensive care and operations' rooms equipped with the latest devices and raising the efficiency of doctors.” “Accordingly, the Front calls upon the Egyptian citizens to reconsider participating in the protest and to support the doctors' strike in order to maintain the health of all Egyptians,” said the statement. The doctors decided to enter an open partial-strike starting Tuesday excluding emergency rooms, receptions, critical and urgent operations. This decision was based on their opinion that their demands to improve the medical care system were not met after their first partial-strike on May 10. The doctors' demands were briefed in four main points, including the resignation of the health minister, securing hospitals from the attacks of thugs, a fair system of wages and raising the general budget of health care in the country. The strike was approved by an extraordinary General Assembly of the Doctors' Syndicate, but opposed by the head of the syndicate, whose presidency was frozen. Mona Mina, the coordinator of the group Doctors Without Rights said on al-Hayah al-Youm talk-show that the syndicate president does not represent the doctors on a decision of the members of the Assembly, “where he was putting the Assembly's resolutions and conventions aside and speaks only on his personal opinion.” El-Said had announced earlier that he will not run himself for the presidency of the doctors' syndicate again after doctors demonstrated against him accusing him of being one of the associates of the disbanded former ruling National Democratic Party. BM
