PARIS, Dec. 5 (Wang Qinming) -- Some hospitals and freelance practitioners' organizations and unions have called for a strike by medical workers across the country on Saturday. Health workers gathered in front of the Ministry of Unity and Health in Paris on Saturday.
According to the French Information Desk, in the case of the new crown pneumonia epidemic squeezing the already scarce medical resources, the shortage of manpower in hospitals across France, the reduction of beds, and the continuous resignation of medical staff have intensified...
As the fifth wave of COVID-19 swept through France, French healthcare workers rallied in front of the French Ministry of Solidarity and Health on Saturday 4 December, at the urging of numerous organizations and trade unions.
Less than a few months before the 2022 presidential election, doctors, hospital practitioners, interns, nurses and caregivers across France hope that the government and the people of the country will pay more attention to the health system and call on the government to carry out deep health care reforms.
Gaëtan Casanova, president of the National Association of Interns (Isni), reminded the public that "the mobilization of this strike is comprehensive, with the participation of all departments of the hospital". French hospitals are currently under multiple pressures.
Jérôme Marty, president of the Independent Practitioners and Hospital Physicians Union (UFML), added, "We are tired of being seen as pawns, as the cause of the problem. In fact, our dissatisfaction is only the result of many problems."
The paramedics hope the demonstration will draw more attention from the government and public opinion to the current state of the health system. Arnaud Chiche, a rescue and anesthesiologist and member of the medical profession under threat, told the French information desk that "we want to show our strength and show that medical staff should not be humiliated, but on the contrary, we should receive respect".
"We do this to better treat the sick and save people. The health of the French people is at risk. France's healthcare industry is in jeopardy. We are doing this to make the French people more aware of the medical industry and to get better handling by the government," said Arnaud Chiche.
The strike's initiators argue that a partial change is not enough, and that france's healthcare industry needs a full range of reforms. Jérôme Marty said: "We are calling for a Marshall Plan for doctors practicing independently. They must be included in future reforms. Politicians usually only mention public hospitals when they give political speeches, but without independent practitioners participating in reform, reform cannot be achieved."
Gaëtan Casanova made a similar comment, "saying that the current government response is disappointing, "What we want is structural answers, and we want to know how to realign the health system." Although after the previous Health Roundtable (Ségur de la santé), the government has made more financial investments. However, I feel sad to see that so much money has been spent without solving the underlying problem."
For Jérôme Marty, Saturday's demonstrations "are just the beginning of a larger movement." He said he would continue to call on medical staff to strike on December 11.