doctors on strike
For the last two weeks, doctors who work for the public sector have been on strike here in Honduras. More than 700 doctors from 27 public hospitals around the country are demanding pay they have not received since the earlier this year. The strike was called by the Colegio Médico de Honduras, which is like the association for doctors. They are demanding that these doctors be paid back pay, paid for the time that they have been on strike, and receive an increase in pay.
Last week, the Honduran government declared this strike illegal, saying that the doctors' association did not follow the correct procedures to declare their frustration to the government. The president questioned the ethics of these doctors, saying that those who are suffering most from this strike are the Honduran people who are missing their appointments. The doctors, while agreeing that the Honduran people are absolutely taking a hit by the strike, responded by saying, "We doctors have to eat, too."
The strike is complicated; the in's and out's are a bit confusing due to lots of finger pointing and questions about who's to blame, if the government has money to pay, etc. etc. Everyone is clearly frustrated. What I think is important to emphasize is that this is not the first time this has happened here. Apparently, this happens all the time.
I work with a doctor who works at the public hospital in the mornings as an emergency room doc (the emergency services are still running, thank goodness) and at Clínica Esperanza in the afternoons. When I asked him about the strike he told me, "We have to go on strike. We have to go on strike any time we want to get paid." He hasn't been paid in over six months for his work at the hospital and that this happens all the time; they go for months without pay, they go on strike, they get paid (usually just their normal salary - no increase for their paycheck being late or anything like that). Some people have been without some or all of their pay for as long as a year.
My response when he told me this: WHAT!? How do they live??
He said a lot of doctors build up a ton of credit card debt because that's what they have to live on while they wait. He's lucky enough to have another job in a private clinic, so he can always have some income. Some doctors do the same, work in a public hospital as well as a private one, but some do not.
Early last week the government told the doctors' association that if and when this is resolved, there is no money to give them any increase in pay whatsoever, and that they will not be paid for the days they have been on strike.
Oh, by the way, last Tuesday, the Honduran national soccer team tied Jamaica, qualifying them to go to the World Cup in Brazil next summer. It was a crazy night -- we went down into town to watch the celebration. The president of Honduras declared the following day a holiday for everyone who worked in the public sector to celebrate the victory. Hmm... the president can afford to give a vacation day to all public employees, but is unable to pay doctors? Forgive me if I am being naïve, but something doesn't quite add up.
As far as my work in the hospital, it has not been as affected. Two weeks ago I showed up to the hospital and opened the clinic, only to find out that all our patients had been turned away under the assumption that the pediatrician that I work with was also on strike. Dra. Cerritos came in at her normal time, frustrated, because she was indeed planning on seeing patients all day -- her salary for her work in the hospital is paid for by Global Healing, the organization that brought me here to the island. Technically, she is "on strike" for her other work in the maternity ward, for which she has not been paid, but since babies aren't going to wait until the strike has ended, she, like the emergency room doctors, has continued with her work. Aside from that first day, and the holiday declared because of the soccer win, we have been able to see kiddos regularly thanks to the consistent pay that Dra. Cerritos receives from Global Healing.
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| ElHeraldo.hn |
Last week, the Honduran government declared this strike illegal, saying that the doctors' association did not follow the correct procedures to declare their frustration to the government. The president questioned the ethics of these doctors, saying that those who are suffering most from this strike are the Honduran people who are missing their appointments. The doctors, while agreeing that the Honduran people are absolutely taking a hit by the strike, responded by saying, "We doctors have to eat, too."
The strike is complicated; the in's and out's are a bit confusing due to lots of finger pointing and questions about who's to blame, if the government has money to pay, etc. etc. Everyone is clearly frustrated. What I think is important to emphasize is that this is not the first time this has happened here. Apparently, this happens all the time.
I work with a doctor who works at the public hospital in the mornings as an emergency room doc (the emergency services are still running, thank goodness) and at Clínica Esperanza in the afternoons. When I asked him about the strike he told me, "We have to go on strike. We have to go on strike any time we want to get paid." He hasn't been paid in over six months for his work at the hospital and that this happens all the time; they go for months without pay, they go on strike, they get paid (usually just their normal salary - no increase for their paycheck being late or anything like that). Some people have been without some or all of their pay for as long as a year.
My response when he told me this: WHAT!? How do they live??
He said a lot of doctors build up a ton of credit card debt because that's what they have to live on while they wait. He's lucky enough to have another job in a private clinic, so he can always have some income. Some doctors do the same, work in a public hospital as well as a private one, but some do not.
 |
| ElHeraldo.hn |
Early last week the government told the doctors' association that if and when this is resolved, there is no money to give them any increase in pay whatsoever, and that they will not be paid for the days they have been on strike.
Oh, by the way, last Tuesday, the Honduran national soccer team tied Jamaica, qualifying them to go to the World Cup in Brazil next summer. It was a crazy night -- we went down into town to watch the celebration. The president of Honduras declared the following day a holiday for everyone who worked in the public sector to celebrate the victory. Hmm... the president can afford to give a vacation day to all public employees, but is unable to pay doctors? Forgive me if I am being naïve, but something doesn't quite add up.
As far as my work in the hospital, it has not been as affected. Two weeks ago I showed up to the hospital and opened the clinic, only to find out that all our patients had been turned away under the assumption that the pediatrician that I work with was also on strike. Dra. Cerritos came in at her normal time, frustrated, because she was indeed planning on seeing patients all day -- her salary for her work in the hospital is paid for by Global Healing, the organization that brought me here to the island. Technically, she is "on strike" for her other work in the maternity ward, for which she has not been paid, but since babies aren't going to wait until the strike has ended, she, like the emergency room doctors, has continued with her work. Aside from that first day, and the holiday declared because of the soccer win, we have been able to see kiddos regularly thanks to the consistent pay that Dra. Cerritos receives from Global Healing.
