Portugal's doctors launch mass protests over working conditions

On Tuesday, 23 July, doctors began protests in the largest cities in Portugal. The medical professionals announced that the protests would last until Thursday, 25 July. The medical personnel are demanding improvements in working conditions and better patient care. They also do not want the government to dismantle public healthcare.

Doctors, nurses, and all hospital medical staff should be highly valued. After all, they dedicate their time so everyone needing help can always rely on it. Thanks to them, it is possible to carry out long surgeries and procedures, all in the name of health and life. Unfortunately, in many countries, doctors are not treated at the level they should be, which often leads to protests.

Hospital workers in Portugal have had enough. On Tuesday, 23 July, they began street protests in the largest cities. Moreover, they did not go to work and decided that during the strikes, they would refrain from conducting most surgeries and procedures. Only those that threaten the patient's life will be performed. Doctors demand better treatment from the government, higher wages, and improved conditions for patients in hospitals.

The National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) organised the doctors' protest in Portugal. In a conversation with the media, its representatives stated that on Tuesday, 23 July, several hundred medical professionals nationwide did not go to work. All because they demand better working conditions and higher wages. They emphasise that, in their opinion, the government, led by Health Minister Ana Paula Martins, is doing everything to ruin public healthcare.

"On the first day of the strike, 90 per cent of hospital staff participated," reads the official FNAM statement. It was also added that on Tuesday, some clinic doctors also refused to perform their professional duties. The doctors' strikes occurred in Lisbon, Santa Maria, Porto, and Coimbra. Protesters emphasise that there is a staff shortage in medical facilities, making it impossible to provide patients with the highest level of care.