Members of several medical groups have launched a petition campaign in state-run hospitals demanding increases in health sector budgets.
The petition, entitled “Our health is a red line,” was launched after Prime Minister Hesham Qandil’s Cabinet dismissed similar calls, also disregarding demands for better security at hospitals, which have witnessed attacks in recent months.
The campaign will support a sit-in planned by doctors outside the Health Ministry next Saturday, while a number of medical professionals have already announced their intention to join 30 June protests demanding early presidential elections.
“Our health is a red line” campaigners aim to collect signatures from medical teams working in government-run hospitals because President Mohamed Morsy has failed to fulfill his promises to the sector.
A group statement accused the Cabinet and the Shura Council of disregarding the demands of workers.
The statement also demanded increases of up to 8 percent to health budgets for this fiscal year, gradually raising it to 15 percent over the next year.
Secretary General of the Doctors Syndicate in Cairo, Ehab Taher, said the campaign aims to unite the health sector workers to help achieve their demands.
“The petition will begin in hospitals in Cairo and other governorates, in conjunction with the doctors sit-in, next Saturday, within the Ministry of Health to put pressure on the Cabinet," Taher told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
