French doctors go on strike

Paris, December 26 – GPs, as well as other doctors in the private practice, have announced a strike from December 26 to January 2 to demand a doubling of patient fees, BFMTV reported.

The media reported that “doctors are calling for the closure of their offices as of Monday, and are asking for an increase in appointment fees from 25 euros to 50 euros, as well as an improvement in their working conditions.”

This is the doctors’ second protest movement in a month. Prior to that, strikes by doctors took place across the country in early December. It is organized by the association “Doctors for Tomorrow” (Medecins pour demain), created in September 2022 to draw attention to the shortage of doctors in the country and the difficult conditions for their work, as well as the trade unions SML, FMF and UFMLS.

Doctors complain of overcrowded hospitals amid epidemics of influenza, coronavirus and bronchiolitis in the country.

“There are epidemics, but there are also chronic patients. Today, we no longer have the opportunity to manage our patients, whether they are newborns or the elderly. We have long lines for consultations,” said doctor Florence Labica.

According to the media, this strike will not be as large as the action on December 1-2, when up to 30% of offices were closed, but industry experts are preparing a large-scale national action on January 5.

In the summer, demonstrations of medical workers took place across France demanding higher salaries and more staff, as well as expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s health policy.

As previously noted by the trade unions, a health crisis has ripened in France, for the past three years health workers have tried to draw attention to the situation in public hospitals and medical and social institutions.