Doctors demonstrating at the medical syndicate in March 2013 (Photo: Mai Shaheen)
The Egyptian doctors' syndicate has called on the country's health minister to resign in the face of the deteriorating state of health services in Egypt.
The call comes against the backdrop of an online campaign sharing pictures of the adverse conditions they work in, showing stray animals and garbage at hospitals, after the country's Prime Minister said that he was "surprised" at the state of the country's run-down hospitals.
In a statement on Thursday, the union called on Health Minister Adel Adawy to resign after his administration proved "complete and increasing failure" in handling the sector's multiple problems of "lack and improper use of resources, chaos, lack of discipline and corruption".
The union demanded radical changes to the country's heath sector, including a higher health budget and its supervision, an end to hospital privatisation, and a comprehensive health insurance programme for all Egyptians.
Egyptian doctors, who have gone on several strikes since the 2011 uprising, say their longstanding demands have fallen on deaf ears in the corridors of power, accusing successive governments of doing little to improve healthcare in the country.
The first nationwide doctors' strike took place in May 2011, covering most public and several university hospitals. Their demands included raising the national health budget from 3.5 to 15 percent of the state budget and a higher minimum wage.
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