Healthcare Workers And Government Continue Policy Negotiations

The coordinator of the associations of doctors, medical professionals, and health technicians will meet tomorrow in the Ombudsman's Office (Human Rights Oversight Office) to develop working proposals for the outstanding issues related to trade union freedom and health policies. The coordinator, which covers workers in both the Social Security Fund (CSS) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), will deliver the documents to the authorities. The meeting will serve to review and support their requests on the issue of trade union freedom in terms of the licenses, permits and facilities for their activities, said Priscilla Vasquez, spokeswoman for the employees of the CSS. On health policy they will once again raise the problems facing patients over shortages of drugs, the centralization of the ambulance system, and appointments as risk factors for the officials. Wage demands will be addressed at another bilateral working table with all of the technicians in this area, on a date yet to be determined. (Panama America)