Egypt's Doctors' Syndicate has announced that 50.6 percent of state-run hospitals across 21 governorates took part in the first day of a partial doctors' strike on Monday.

The strikers are calling for 15 per cent of the state budget to be allocated to health, a large increase on the current percentage.

The strike, which excludes emergency and critical health services, has continued on Tuesday.

Doctors' unions carried out two nationwide strikes in May and September 2011, but failed to achieve their objectives.

Egypt has witnessed a spate of labour unrest in recent years, particularly after the January 25 Revolution in early 2011. Labour strikes also played an important role in building pressure on the former regime prior to the revolution.