The Dominican Medical Association (CMD) accused the Santo Domingo Institute of Technology (Intec) on Thursday of charging “abusive sums” of up to RD$60,000 for granting university endorsement to resident physicians who completed their degrees at that academy.
Waldo Ariel Suero, president of the CMD, threatened to begin a plan of struggle in the coming days with marches, vigils, pickets and occupations, demanding that the university lower this amount.
The union leader said that he made the decision after negotiations with the rector of Intec, Julio Sánchez Maríñez, failed and lasted for more than two months.
“The medical profession has no other alternative than to initiate an extensive plan of struggle against that institution,” said Suero.
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He did not rule out that the plan of struggle includes the occupation of the headquarters of that university academy.
Harmonious dialogue
Regarding the negotiations, Suero said that “we began a harmonious dialogue with the rector of Intec, who agreed to meet again with the CMD. However, the rector did not carry out that second meeting.”
“On the contrary, he sent a communication to the CMD, signed by the academic vice-rector, Arturo del Villar, in which he closed any possibility of reaching a reasonable understanding between Intec and the CMD,” he added.
“Naturally, the medical profession will always be open to dialogue and agreement, based on reasonable proposals, but the plan of struggle is reiterated and maintained,” he said.
University endorsement
University endorsement is what states that a university is committed to the academic training of these resident physicians.
The CMD affirms that Intec charges the highest university fee in the country’s higher education system.
He said that the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) charges RD$7,000 for this concept, while the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PCMM) charges RD$30,000.
He said that the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (INPHU) charges RD$15,000. “We will continue our plan of struggle until there is a solution to this conflict in favor of the resident physicians,” said Suero.
Intec does not respond
The Santo Domingo Institute of Technology (INTEC) said on Thursday that it has no response regarding the conflict with the Dominican Medical College (CMD) over the payment of the academic endorsement to the resident physicians of that institution. “We have no comment on that,” responded journalist Carmen Matos, director of communications for the academy, when El Nacional asked the academy’s position on that conflict, after negotiations between the parties broke down, which, according to the CMD, began more than two months ago.
