News that doctors would be laying down their stethoscopes was announced this week by the National Federation of Doctors (FNAM).
The union said the action would start in northern Portugal on 11 October in a series of strikes that will take place across the country before a mass walk-out on 8 November.
The action was called in protest against the number of over-time hours doctors are being asked to work, among 25 other demands.
The regional strike action will move to Lisbon on 18 October, before heading south on 25 October. All the country’s doctors will stay away from hospitals and health centres on 8 November.
Doctors will however have to supply minimal services during the days of the strike, which corresponds to services provided on bank holidays and Sundays.
Portugal Medical Society chairman Miguel Guimarães has meanwhile expressed the hope that doctors and the Health Ministry reach some form of agreement around the negotiating table before the first day of strike action is held.
This comes after Portugal’s nurses threatened to strike again next month if the government does not satisfy a set of demands made by the nurses, which includes a €400 pay hike.
Via the national SE union, the country’s nurses have said they will stay home on 16 October if the government fails to accommodate their demands.
The government had offered a temporary €150 increase to specialist nurses’ salaries, pending further negotiation, but this was refused. A different nurses’ union has also pencilled strike action for 3, 4 and 5 October.