Nabil abdel Maqsoud, the head of Qasr al-Aini French Hospital in Cairo, has rejected the idea of doctors going on strike, following a vote in favour of strike action by the Doctors' Syndicate on Friday.
During an interview aired on privately-owned Al-Qahera wal Nas TV channel on Friday, abdel Maqsoud said, “A doctors' strike is unacceptable. Our profession does not allow this.”
Rejecting the decision of the syndicate, he said, “The only one who will be harmed by the doctors' strike is the patient.”
He added, “This does not conform to our ethics.”
He stressed that conducting a strike is in conflict with the oath that doctors take to care for their patients.
At an extraordinary general assembly meeting on Friday, the Doctors' Syndicate voted in favor of holding a partial strike at hospitals unless action was taken in a number of areas, including protecting doctors from assault by police officers during the course of their work. Syndicate members also called on parliament to pass legistlation criminalizing attacks on medical staff and institutions.
Friday's meeting follows the recent high-profile case of two doctors allegedly being assaulted by police officers at Matareya Hospital, bringing the Doctors' Syndicate into conflict with the Interior Ministry.
They also voted for the resignation of the health minister, who they say has failed to protect doctors from mistreatment.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
