Similarly, the Medical Union of Euskadi has criticized the fact that the PAC and emergency doctors, who voluntarily work extra shifts, will charge 33 euros gross per hour, half of what they have charged so far during the daytime hours.
The Medical Union of Euskadi (SME) has criticized Osakidetza’s “brutality” in closing or reducing the opening hours of primary care centers in the summer, stating that this measure “does not guarantee healthcare for the Basque population” in the summer months.
“According to our calculations there could be almost a thousand uncovered medical appointments. The HR department has not even denied that this is the case,” the union said in a statement. From SMEs they have reminded that when citizens ask for help, what they are looking for “is precisely medical help”, and that “cannot be satisfied by any other professional category”.
Faced with this “serious problem”, Osakidetza’s management has decided to make an offer 33 euros gross per hour to PAC and emergency physicians who volunteer to work extra shifts, apparently after a court ruling.
We should not forget that the nurses went to court over the discriminatory overtime pay and the judges agreed with them. However, instead of increasing salaries, Osakidetza has reduced the salaries of doctors to match those of nurses: “That amount representshalf of what was charged so far during the day,” they denounced, adding that “the situation in Osakidetza is furthermore such that it would be impossible to guarantee assistance if the medical staff did not perform these additional shifts.”
Although the payment of overtime was initially intended six years ago to meet “temporary” needs, it has become something “structural”: “We do not know whether in an attempt to make the medical figure redundant, the guidance of” Health refuses negotiate new conditions that allow these doctors, who treat patients, outside their working hours and on a voluntary basis, to show a lack of attention and respect for both professionals and patients,” the union assured.
Usually this schedule cuts plan It was launched in July and this time is being brought forward to June as the shortage of doctors becomes increasingly acute.
Osakidetza justifies these changes to give his professionals a rest and because of the lower demand for services once winter is over, but the truth is that this year there are no longer three months of adjustment, but four. Some of the centers where cuts are already being implemented are Laudio in Araba, Andoain and Loiola in Gipuzkoa and Rontegi, Morga or Mendata in Bizkaia
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
