Medical
Residents On
Strike Today At
State Hospitals
The 900 medical
residents of the
state hospitals,
Calderón
Guardia, México,
San Juan de Dios
and the Nacional
de Niños, will
be on strike
beginning today.
Arturo Herrera,
representing the
residents, said
the strike is to
pressure a
change the way
the medical
residents
provide services
at the Caja
Costarricense de
Seguro Social (CCSS)
hospitals.
Currenlty,
doctors have to
be residents of
the CCSS for 5
or 6 years. Once
they have
concluded their
specialization,
they must work
for the CCSS for
8 years or pay a
fine of ¢32
million colones,
explained
Herrera.
The residents
argue that the
assignments are
not transparent
and that many
are sent to work
in remote areas
and without
justification.
The strike
action is being
called by the
Unión Médica
Nacional.
"There is a
general
uneasiness about
the issue of the
specialties as
they send them
(residents) to
remote area",
said Alexis
Castillo,
president of the
Unión.
Residency is a
stage of
graduate medical
training. A
resident
physician or
resident is a
person who has
received a
medical degree
and who
practices
medicine under
the supervision
of fully
licensed
physicians,
usually in a
hospital or
clinic.
Successful
completion of
residency
training is a
requirement to
practice
medicine.
The strike
action that is
to begin at 7am
this morning
(Monday) is
expected to
affect all
hospital
services,
including
surgery,
orthopedics,
gynecology and
pediatrics,
among others.
Castillo assures
that emergency
services will
not be affected
by the strike.
The duration of
the strike is
indefinite,
though Castillo
explained that
they will try to
come to some
agreement with
the CCSS as
quickly as
possible.
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