Doctors put off cruise until December

State doctors in Cyprus who were threatening to go on a cruise and not to report for work if their demands for better conditions were not met have decided to put off their threat until December 20 in order to provide time to the government to satisfy their demands.

The doctors had taken a hint from what their colleagues in Belgium and France did when they boarded ships and left as their problems were not solved, but because of public pressure, they were called to return and their problems were resolved.

Following a meeting between the doctors’ executive committee PASYKI and the Minister of Health on Tuesday, the head of the doctors union, Stavros Stavrou said the doctors agreed to put off any strike action until December 20.

“After that and in the event that our demands are not met, then there will be no issue of a dialogue and we shall go on strike,” warned Stavrou.

The doctors have set the government a string of demands, relating to the structure and administration of clinics, career prospects, retraining, overtime, pensions and working conditions such as excessive workload.

One of the main bones of contention is the large number of patients doctors have to see every day, resulting in long queues at public hospitals. Patients say they have to wait around for hours until their turn comes, only for their physician to spend 10 minutes with them.

Stavrou said the restructuring cost is seen at CYP 160.000 annually, while adding that the doctors did not agree with a government proposal to pay doctors accompanying patients abroad the sum of CYP 200 for London, CYP 100 for Greece and CYP 75 for Israel.

Stavrou also added that doctors did not wish to pay legal fees of CYP 40.000 to 70.000 to cover the obligations of their employer insisting that doctors had no intention of getting involved in the preelection campaign.