The announcement was made by the head of the National Doctors’ Federation (FNAM), and the Independent Doctor’s Union (SIM), who recently met with the Ministries of Finance and Health.
In a press conference, SIM Secretary-General, Jorge Roque da Cunha, said that the government delegation is expected to put forward new proposals in a meeting scheduled for this Friday, 18 August.
Should the proposals be unsatisfactory, a national doctors’ strike will be staged after the elections on 1 October, so as not to interfere with the electoral process, the head of FNAM, Mário Jorge Neves, explained.
Jorge Roque da Cunha added that the action is not about pay rises, but seeks an end to “damaging, transitional measures imposed by the troika.”
Among the doctors’ demands is a reduction in emergency ward working hours, from 18 to 12 hour shifts, which they claim would free up more surgeons for planned operations, reduce waiting lists, and allow a better monitoring of
in-patients.
They say it would also reduce family doctors’ patients’ lists, which would allow clinicians to “spend more time with patients, so that they will be guaranteed better access”.
Unions hope the negotiation process will be complete by 30 September.