Doctors in Portugal are among the lowest paid in the European Union and their working conditions have deteriorated over the last two decades.
ADVERTISEMENTDoctors in Portugal have gone on a two-day strike for better pay and working conditions. The strike, which began on Tuesday and continues until midnight on Wednesday, has attracted 70% support.
Surgeries and consultations have been cancelled in various parts of the country, according to the National Federation of Doctors (FNAM), which called the doctors' strike.
"It is quite a large number, and it represents the revolt that the doctors are feeling," said Joana Bordalo e Sa, the FNAM president.
The union accuses the government of intransigence and inflexibility since the Ministry of Health has postponed negotiations until 2025. Past negotiations since 2022 have failed.
Some of the FNAM's demands include the reinstatement of the standard 35-hour working week, the updating of the pay scale and the inclusion of junior doctors in the entry-level category of the medical profession.
Others include the restoration of 25 working days of paid holiday per year and an additional five days if taken outside the high season.
The general strike was accompanied by a refusal to work overtime in primary healthcare until August 31.
Around 1.6 million people in Portugal do not have a family doctor. In addition, obstetric and pediatric emergency rooms are often closed, forcing pregnant women and children to travel many kilometres.
There are also long waiting times in general emergency rooms due to the shortage of doctors.
Portuguese doctors are among the lowest paid in the European Union, and their working conditions have deteriorated over the last two decades.
As a result, many doctors are either moving from the public sector to the private sector or leaving the country.