Doctors and pharmacists from several professional groups held a vigil outside the Shura Council Tuesday to highlight the need for more health funding.
The demonstration by the Doctors Without Rights, Pharmacists Without Rights, Health Defense and Doctors Ultras movements came as the upper house of Parliament reviews the fiscal year 2013/2014 budget proposed by the Cabinet.
Doctors have long protested to demand regulations that would state terms of employment, salaries and promotions within the profession. They also want a framework that stipulates free health care for the poor and fair compensation for doctors. They threatened to go on strike once again in hospitals nationwide if their demands are not met.
Doctors went on strike for nearly three months starting on 1 October to demand an increase in the Health Ministry's budget, better security for hospitals and a review of administrative and financial matters within the sector.
“The Shura Council cancelled Saturday’s meeting that was meant to discuss this issue and did not specify another date,” said Dr. Mona Mina, founder of the Doctors Without Rights movement. “This is an insult to us.”
Shura Council Health Committee member Abdel Ghaffar Salhin said the committee would meet with the finance minister and apply a health sector bylaw by July.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
