While a strike by liberal doctors began on Monday, broadcast by the Doctors for Tomorrow movement, the Health Ministry told BFMTV its disapproval of the move.
“The minister strongly condemns the strike call launched by certain liberal doctors during this holiday period at the end of the year,” said François Braun’s entourage.
a tense context
A nuisance justified by the current context. Although it has not been broadcast by the main union organizations, the movement can only come to increase the pressure on hospital and emergency services, already overloaded.
The hospital is currently facing three epidemics, flu, covid-19 and bronchiolitis, and its staff is exhausted after three years of pandemic.
“Although our health system is facing an exceptional situation, in particular due to the triple epidemic that continues in France, this increases the pressure on hospitals and emergency services that are already in a critical situation”, emphasizes the ministry to BFMTV.
“It is not acceptable that access to health for the French is thus undermined,” the press release continues.
In addition to emergency services, the strike movement increases pressure on SOS Médecins, a service that offers emergency medicine at home. On Monday, Dr. Urfan Ashraf, vice president of SOS Médecins, said the service was overwhelmed, with up to 50 calls waiting at times.
Double the consultation fee
Among the demands of the Médicos del Mañana collective: the doubling of the consultation price, which they want to see it go from 25 to 50 euros. A rise in rates that, according to the striking doctors, would make consultations more fluid by employing a secretary.
The strike movement, which is set to last until January 2, is also the result of a concern for the freedom of installation of liberal doctors. Some health professionals fear that the latter will be challenged by the government, which wants to fight medical deserts.
The Ministry of Health has not completely closed the door on these demands, but criticizes the way they are expressed, that is, by a strike movement. “If the minister recognizes the difficulties and sometimes the exhaustion of certain liberal doctors, it is in the framework of the negotiations that it is convenient to discuss it,” the ministry maintains.
Then to continue: “These negotiations are carried out in accordance with a balanced approach of rights and duties that alone will make it possible to respond to the health needs of the French.”
Source: BFM TV
