Jessica Otey/ March 6, 2008/ 7:24 pm/ Labor Problems
Doctors in Egypt are threatening to strike by the end of March if their pay is not increased. Right now, doctors make as little as 63 American dollars a month. This is hardly enough to support themselves let alone their families. In fact, most doctors are forced to live with their parents because they cannot afford the cost of living. Many doctors are forced to work long hours and have to use broken equipment. In addition to this, many physicians have to buy rubber gloves and other medical supplies from their own pockets. Most hospitals and doctor’s offices have to reuse gloves after they have already been used.
The Doctors Union is fighting to earn physicians the right to receive 1,000 pounds a month. This equals about $180. Sadly, the starting wages right now in Egypt for a physician are $23 a month. So of course this would be a huge increase.
Many physicians just want to be respected for what they do on a daily basis. They want better working conditions and better equipment so that they can better serve their patients.
When I saw this article I was shocked. I couldn’t fathom making that little a month. How could you possibly manage to live off of $63 a month? It’s especially sad since these physicians had to go to school for so long, but then they don’t make enough to pay back their college loans. I really hope that something is done about this situation. These physicians really have no means of helping their patients especially if they don’t have the equipment to do so.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-fg-doctors3mar03,1,1800844.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
No comments:
Post a Comment