Deir ez-Zor hospital doctors renew call for overdue payments

Doctors at Ahmad Huwaidi Hospital in Deir ez-Zor renewed their call on Wednesday for the payment of their overdue financial entitlements, including salaries and allowances that have not been paid for three months, during a protest outside the hospital.

They called for fair treatment and the payment of all outstanding dues for the previous period, stressing that continued delays in salaries and allowances are placing additional burdens on them amid their professional and living responsibilities.

The demand comes as part of previous calls by Ahmad Huwaidi Hospital staff to improve their financial conditions. The hospital previously saw a protest involving technicians, nurses and administrative staff, who called for higher salaries and improved wages.

Ahmad Huwaidi Hospital continues to provide medical services in Deir ez-Zor and also holds training activities for medical staff, including workshops for resident doctors and specialists in pediatrics and neonatal resuscitation, in cooperation with medical organizations.

According to the protesting doctors, their demands for payment of the overdue entitlements have not yet been addressed. They continue to work at the hospital while calling on the relevant authorities to explain the reasons for the delay and set a date for the payment of their outstanding salaries and allowances.

Similar protests have been held at hospitals across Syria in recent months over delayed salaries and allowances, as well as demands related to the professional and living conditions of resident doctors and healthcare workers.

On September 13, doctors at the National Hospital in Qamishlo held a sit-in demanding payment of their salaries and financial entitlements, amid uncertainty over the status of their contracts.

According to a statement issued by the protesters, around 84 doctors work at the hospital, including resident doctors. The doctors continue to work according to their assigned schedules despite irregular payment of their entitlements.

Earlier, in July, resident doctors at several hospitals in the Damascus countryside threatened to escalate their action, demanding measures to address delays in the payment of financial entitlements and the salary increases they were due to receive, as well as a review of financial deductions and working conditions. The doctors gave the relevant authorities a deadline to respond to their demands before taking further escalation measures.

In February, several hospitals in the Damascus countryside and Damascus witnessed protests involving resident doctors, postgraduate students and nursing staff. The demands focused on salaries and financial entitlements, as well as improving working conditions.

These demands coincided with official statements throughout the year regarding compensation for resident doctors. On July 22, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said that the compensation stipulated under the fixed-salary system covers resident doctors enrolled in postgraduate programs and working at hospitals affiliated with the Ministries of Higher Education and Health, noting that the compensation and its payment issue was being followed up.