The Mayor’s Office still has not paid and health workers are pressing with a new 48-hour strike

The hospitals of Santa Cruz de la Sierra are in 48 hour strike this Thursday and Friday. The measure, assumed by health workers, requires the Santa Cruz Mayor’s Office to pay October salaries, a commitment that, according to previous agreements, had to be fulfilled on the 10th of each month.

On Monday, doctors affiliated with Fesirmes began a 24-hour strike for the same reason, followed by another day of protest on Tuesday by health workers. Now, the 48-hour strike only leaves emergency areas active in hospitals and health centers.

Robert Hurtado, leader of health workers, warned that if they do not receive payment, They could extend the strike to four days next week. “We have 2,000 workers without salaries. This affects not only us, but also the population,” said Hurtado, who regretted the lack of priority in the municipal budget.

From the Mayor’s Office, spokesperson Bernardo Montenegro assured on Wednesday that payments had already begun. “The payrolls are already in progress and the payments are advancing through networks. “In a few hours at the latest, everything will be cancelled,” said Montenegro. However, the doctors and health workers denied this situation.

As a measure to support the workers’ strike, representatives of the Federation of Medical Branches Unions (Fesirmes) called for a march, this Thursday, which will depart from the San Juan de Dios Hospital to the Mayor’s Office. In addition to paying salaries, they will demand the urgent purchase of medical supplies.

“We ask that the agreements be fulfilled and that the hospitals be provided with medicines and necessary supplies,” declared Evert Patiño, leader of Fesirmes.