The agreement reached by Prime Minister Petr Fiala with the representatives of dissatisfied doctors is beginning to crumble. The promise of increasing the funds from insurance payments to reflect doctors’ salaries is unclear. Both the prime minister and the protesting doctors, who do not believe the prime minister’s promises to provide 9.8 billion crowns for remuneration, are starting to back down.
The Young Doctors’ Section, whose chairman Jan Přáda is the main face of the protests, stated on its Facebook that it’s premature to call off the refusal of overtime work until a definitive agreement is reached with the prime minister on the allocation and method of delivery of earmarked funds. Even though Přáda called on doctors to ensure care over the weekend after the meeting with Fiala, the strike continues, and some hospitals have reduced healthcare since Friday.
Miroslav Kalousek, a former politician for TOP 09 and the vice-chairman of the administrative board of VZP criticized how Fiala negotiated with the doctors. According to Kalousek, the agreement that Fiala reached cannot be fulfilled.
According to Martin Engel, chairman of the Medical Trade Union Club (LOK), the strike will continue until December 7. Many hospitals are proceeding according to the care-restricting plans created before the prime minister met with young doctors.
The uncertainty and discontent among the Czech Republic’s medical professionals continue to highlight the pressing need for definitive and clear resolutions for their remuneration and working conditions.