Doctors Being
Called On To
Join Residents
Strike
The Caja
Costarricense de
Seguro Social (CCSS)
or "Caja" is
battling to stop
its hospital
services from
coming to a
screeching halt,
on Saturday
asking medical
doctors not to
join the more
than a week long
strike by
residents after
a call by the
Unión Médica
Nacional (UMN)
for its doctors
to support the
residents and
the strike.
The residents at
the Costa Rica's
state hospital
began on June
10, 2010 and as
of yesterday
there was no end
in sight.
In addition to
calling on
doctors to join
the strike by
the residents,
the UMN has
called for a
general assembly
meeting for
Tuesday, June
22, to discuss a
possible strike
action by all
doctors at all
state hospitals.
At the heart of
the residents
strike is the
call for a
modification to
the residency
program that
currently
demands payment
by graduating
doctors if they
do not continue
their practice
with the Caja.
Graduating
doctors must, as
part of their
medical
training,
complete their
residency at a
Caja hospital,
the hospital
chosen solely by
Caja
authorities,
followed by a
service to the
Caja.
The union is
demanding that
once the
residents have
finished their
residency, which
they are paid
for, they are
not then
obligated to
work for the
Caja.
Currenlty,
residents are
required to work
with the Caja
for three years
after their
residency or pay
the Caja ¢32
million colones
in compensation.
To deal with the
residents
strike, Rosa
Climent, medical
director for the
CCSS, said that
clinics will be
open all weekend
and with
expanded hours
of operations,
some like the
Carlos Durán and
Solón Núñez open
until midnight.
Climent added
that medical
services at the
state hospitals
has not been
greatly affected
by the residents
strike.
A tour of
several
hospitals of
Saturday like
the San Juan de
Diós and the
Calderón Guardia
showed service
being normal.
The lines at the
emergency rooms
was no longer or
unusual for a
Saturday. |
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