Key Day for Striking
Panama Doctors
The Panamanian public
hospital physicians, on
strike for 35 days,
should decide on Monday
whether to accept the 20
percent wage increase
offered by the
government. Comenenal,
the National Negotiating
Medical Commission
leading the strike,
announced they will hold
a general assembly today
to decide whether or not
they will continue to
demand a 45 percent pay
hike.
Since November 6 the
over 5,000 doctors from
Minsa (health ministry)
and CSS (Social
Security) have been
providing attention only
to emergency cases and
hospitalized patients.
About 600,000 outpatient
appointments and 5,000
surgeries have been
cancelled so far, with
no date fixed.
Comenenal coordinator
Julio Garcia affirmed
that each leader will
vote on the government
proposal, and announced
he will reject it.
Health Minister Rosario
Turner stated the
government has put its
last offer on the table.
Economic analyst Alexis
Soto sustained the
governmental proposal
fails to consider the
rise in the cost of
living. |
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