Dozens of doctors from different departments of the Elmhurst Hospital Center protested in front of the public institution due to staff shortages and the need for a better contract.
“We don’t have enough doctors, we couldn’t keep doctors because the pay is less, it’s like 25 percent (less) than normal,” said Dr. Melanie Maclennan.
Dra. Maclennan.
The protest was organized by members of the doctors’ union, ‘Doctors Council’. They say they have met with the hospital administration three times but were offered a three percent raise and do not want to hire staff.
“That’s why we continue to fight, because in most public hospitals in New York there is a shortage of doctors. Many doctors have left, many departments that do not have the staff they should have, ‘so’ the doctors are working longer hours, harder and deserve better,” said Cirilo Grullón, spokesperson, Doctor Council.
Elmhurst Hospital Center is one of 11 public hospitals in the NYC Health and Hospitals system. It has 545 beds and was the epicenter of care during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, according to doctors, conditions are increasingly precarious.
“Sometimes patients spend almost two days in the emergency room,” said Dr. Nitzy Muñoz.
Waits in hospitals are growing nationwide. A recent survey by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners shows that 2 in 5 people reported unnecessary waits at medical centers.
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Jexy Coloma has been coming to her medical appointments for months because of her pregnancy.
“The doctors are busy, there is not just one of us, there are many of us who arrived here and we have to wait a long time,” said Coloma.
He says this is not the only hospital with this problem.
“I changed hospitals because they didn’t treat me at the right time and it came here.”
“We simply need to come here to give our best, having the best, the necessary resources,” added Dr. Muñoz.
We contacted the hospital but received no response.
Union representatives will hold another protest Thursday in Brooklyn where doctors from South Brooklyn Health, which is also part of the NYC Health and Hospitals system, will come out to call for fair contracts and more doctors to provide quality health care in the community.
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