Kosovo Doctors in hunger strike

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Kosovo Doctors in hunger strike | Photo BPA

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Pristina, Kosovo

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Kosovo health employees started the strike on Tuesday as was earlier announced. Some 13,247 medical workers in Kosovo restarted their strike on Tuesday for the 3rd time, saying it would continue until their demand for better pay is met.

Asllan Bajrami, head of Health Trade Union Federation, said that the decision for the strike was taken by National Council of Health Trade Union Federation. Bajrami said that the strike aims at influencing on implementation of the agreement signed on 14 October 2008 with the Kosovo Government. The agreement was signed by Asllan Bajrami and Health Minister Alush Gashi, which envisioned a pay raise of 44 Euros for all health workers. The union who's representing the interest of doctors, nurses and other personnel on Tuesday morning told reporters that they are demanding for better conditions of medical workers including 50-per cent wage increase and a defined policy of health insurance - Kosovo yet has no law on health insurance and even medical workers have no coverage for medical interventions. Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia one year ago, is plagued by poverty and corruption, also affecting the decrepit health sector. The average Kosovo monthly wage is 220 Euros and doctors are paid only slightly better, 250 Euros. As a result, many of them only keep their jobs in state hospitals in order to direct as many patients as possible to see them in the hundreds of better-equipped private clinics./BPA/