Strike off

Pharmacists called off their planned strike after reaching an agreement with the Health Ministry

Strike off

The Pharmacists Syndicate announced on 5 February the cancelling of a strike planned for 12 February. The strike was called off after the Ministry of Health and Population agreed to the syndicate’s demands after a prolonged meeting between Health Minister Ahmed Emadeddin Radi and head of the syndicate Mohi Ebeid as well as other syndicate members.

Ahmed Abu Douma, the spokesman for the Pharmacists Syndicate, said the syndicate had scrapped the strike after an agreement was reached with the government in a meeting with Radi.

The syndicate had threatened to hold a partial strike on 15 January after the ministry announced on 12 January an increase in the price of 3,000 medications out of 12,000pharmacists play in healthcare and affirmed that the ministry will not harm the profession.

“The ministry and the syndicate also agreed to coordinate on all future problems as they arise before they escalate into strikes,” Abu Douma said.

The decision by the Central Bank of Egypt to float the Egyptian pound against the dollar in November last year exasperated a medication shortage in Egypt of essential drugs and led to drastic price increases. Many companies have struggled to import certain types of medicines and material in the wake of the hike of the dollar and its instability to the rate of the Egyptian pound.

On 15 January all pharmacies decided to close daily from 9am to 3pm for two weeks except for one pharmacy in each district.