Doctors’ union representatives from the Czech Republic may join forces
with their colleagues in neighboring countries – Slovakia, Poland and
Hungary – to stage another set of protests, similar to last year’s
‘Thank you, we’re leaving’ campaign. Mlada fronta Dnes daily
reported on Saturday that doctors want to protest against
similar problems as last year, but in addition to persistently low
salaries, they are also criticizing plans to further privatize, and the
insurance companies’ unfair practices. The unions are planning to stage
a
warning to the government and the Health Ministry and have doctors stop
working for a few minutes on November 20th. If their demands are not met
after that, union representatives are threatening massive resignations
from
doctors around the country, but said that this will not happen until after
Christmas, so as not to complicate matters for patients during the holiday
season.