French doctors kick off Christmas strike

PARIS NEWS:

French doctors went on strike in protest of an
upcoming health bill,prompting fears that
hospitals already  bracing for busy Christmas
period will be seriously overrun.

Three unions have called on general practitionsers
to close up shop in protest at certain aspects
of the bill,which notably would allow pharmacists
to vaccinate patients -an act that is currently almost
exclusively reserved for doctors.

The bill also seeks to set up system whereby
patients would no  longer have  to be reimbursed
retroactively for doctors'visits with social
security directly paying GPs instead.

 Another   powerful GPs and specialists union
--CSMf-also called on its members to strike
from Wednesday until December 31
worsening the situation at a time of festive
excesses and prevalent flu and gastroenteritis.

The situation had initially been expected
to be much worse ,as over worked ER
doctors had also planned to go on strike
to demand better overtime pay and fewer hours.

But that planned work stoppage was cut short
after successful negotiations with
the government,---AFP.