It is crucial that the directors of public health institutions receive all the necessary support so that hospitals and community health centres can continue to provide adequate healthcare to the population.

The first measure is guidelines for the organisation of work in public health institutions, which will allow the smooth provision of continuous healthcare. On the basis of these guidelines, the directors of public health institutions will examine the different forms of working arrangements, such as shift work, standby and on-call work, which allow for the continuity of healthcare in the institutions. If there are insufficient numbers of doctors, they may be deployed on a shift basis to ensure the continuity of healthcare.

In the event that a public health institution determines, on the basis of an analysis, that the workload of a health professional is less than 25% of the normal workload during the period of providing continuous healthcare, on-call work may be organised.

In addition, guidelines have been developed for the organisation of a joint standby service for emergency medical service providers when they are unable to provide services themselves. Public health institutions will be able to mutually agree on the location of such a joint standby service, where the presence of a doctor will be guaranteed at all times.

Another measure adopted by the Government is guidelines on the withdrawal of consents for the provision of health services at other healthcare providers. This gives directors the opportunity to assess, on a case-by-case basis, whether the legal conditions for working for another institution are met. If they are not, they should withdraw such consents. In addition, the Government has asked directors to submit proposals to the Ministry of Health no later than 28 February 2024 on where it is appropriate to maintain consents for the provision of health services outside the home health institution in order to ensure continuity of healthcare.

These are only the first measures, as the Government plans to adopt additional ones in the coming days, which will focus on the provision of a range of health services during the strike. All government measures are aimed at protecting people's health, including during the strike, which is a legitimate right of the individual. However, it is unacceptable that patients, who are the most vulnerable in such situations, should pay the price.

Source: Ministry of Health