Iris Velázquez/Agencia Reforma
Saturday, January 07, 2023 | 08:21
Mexico City.- With degrees, course certifications and proof of their work during the pandemic, health personnel from different entities and institutions yesterday demanded job improvements from President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, after stating that it will not be possible to have a health system like Denmark’s, with the shortcomings they face.
In the demonstration that began yesterday morning at the National Palace, continued in the Senate and led to roadblocks in Mexico City, doctors recalled that last month, the President asserted that by December 2023, Mexico would have a public health system like Denmark’s.
However, they said, they do not see how this promise can be fulfilled with temporary contracts or unemployment, low wages, lack of benefits and shortages of medicines and supplies to offer quality care.
On January 6, the day on which nursing personnel were previously celebrated -now officially celebrated on May 12 to tie it with the global celebration-, dozens of professionals demanded that the Government improve their salary income.
They indicated that, despite having their training proven in the field and with documents, some earn 3,500 pesos a month and others with a master’s degree accepted work in vaccination campaigns with a payment of 2,800 pesos biweekly in order to get out of unemployment. .
“How is it that the President says that he is going to have a health system like Denmark if his staff works almost barefoot? Let them start at the bases,” requested a nurse from Michoacán.
Another nurse from Guerrero asked the President to value them not only with words.
“That they stop in the Senate for a day or two is fine, but a hospital that stops it for one day, what will happen?” he said.
He considered that the offer of places in the health system is simulated. He explained that they are classified as “approved, regularized or formalized”, however, they do not offer them job security and, on the contrary, they subtracted years of seniority.
“It is a more indefinite contract, but we are not from the base. They took away our seniority because for the Ssa we have 6 to 8 years, when we have already been working for 20 or more.”
Chemists, laboratory workers, stretcher-bearers, nurses and resident doctors from Michoacán, Sinaloa, Baja California, the State of Mexico and Oaxaca participated in the protest, from institutions such as IMSS, ISSSTE, the Ministry of Health and Pemex.
In the event convened by the Union of Health Workers, one of its representatives, Rafael Soto, indicated that close to 350,000 workers have been affected by austerity and lack of decent working conditions.
“They are people who were promised this very morning throughout the entire six-year term that they were going to be basified.
“That in a year we are going to be better than in Denmark, says our Mr. President…”, he added.
