Several hundred private practice doctors working in operating rooms (anesthesiologists, surgeons, obstetricians) left Paris today and went on a symbolic three-day exile to Brussels, in protest against the government's health policy, French media reported.
"We want the government to stop attacking private medical practice," said Philippe Kik, president of the Blok organization, shortly before about two dozen buses left Paris for Brussels today.
Kik added that the doctors in "exile" in Brussels will work on preparing a dozen proposals that they want to submit to French Prime Minister Sebastien Le Corneille upon their return to Paris.
The action is part of a wider context of strikes by private doctors. Almost all organizations have called for a strike between January 5 and 15.
They denounce "policies that trample on them," including a social security budget deemed insufficient, a limit on sick leave prescriptions, and measures that allow doctors to bypass collective agreements between working in private practice and the national health insurance system.
On Saturday, several thousand doctors, 20.000 according to organizers, 5.000 according to the police prefecture, marched in Paris.
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