Some pharmacists working at public sector pharmacies in Alexandria and Kafr al-Sheikh will strike on Sunday because their bonuses have not been paid. They are also demanding salary increases.
Mohamed Fattouh, a member of the Pharmacists Syndicate board, said state-employed pharmacists were angered when the health minister decided to reduce their bonuses.
Fattouh accused Mohsen Abdel Alim, head of the syndicate in Cairo, of striking a deal with Health Minister Fouad al-Nawawy to get promoted to chief of the Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Affairs. He added that the Pharmacists Syndicate is not supporting the strike because Abdel Alim does not want to anger the ministry.
Fattouh called on Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri and Nawawy to follow through on their promises to pay the bonuses.
The syndicate’s Industry Committee said negotiations are being held to reopen five pharmaceutical factories that were shut down under former Health Minister Hatem al-Gabaly.
A statement said that the head of the committee met with Abdel Alim and Ayman al-Khateeb, deputy health minister for pharmaceutical affairs, and that they agreed to update the factories’ licenses so work could be resumed.
The statement added that the closure had led to medicine shortages in hospitals.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
