Skopje, 27 March 2024 (MIA) - The President of the Association of Resident Doctors and Dr. Aleksandra Georgieva, said Wednesday that during the meeting at the Ministry of Health, they were told that the Ministry will inform the Government and Health Insurance Fund (HIF), to act in accordance with the agreements made and adjust the salaries of resident doctors starting from next month.

"We were welcomed by the minister's advisors, while he attended another meeting in cooperation with the World Health Organization. We drew up an agreement with one of the individuals, who is also a legal advisor, which is based on how the fees for private practice have been paid as of 2018. The agreement, based on a Government's decision, states that the salary of resident doctors should be equal to the annual salary of general practitioners. We were promised that the Ministry of Health will inform the Government and (HIF), to act in accordance with the agreement and adjust the salaries of resident doctors, starting next month, so that they are aligned with the average salary of general practitioners," Georgieva said.

She added that the average salary of a general practitioner now is around Mden 44.000 (EUR 774).

"According to the Government's decision, we should receive the same amount," Georgieva noted.

They were also promised that all resident doctors will receive health insurance coverage and that all public health intuitions will be informed of the decision.

"Regarding the transformation from temporary employment contracts to full-time contracts we received information that in February, the Government sent 1,117 agreements, but were not realized due to the moratorium imposed by the electoral period and the fact that no open job advertisements can be held. A promise was made to open massive job advertisements in public health institutions after the end of the electoral cycle, and we made a note and demanded the law for recruitment criteria to be amended- a preference to be given to medical specialists, because currently such criteria does not exist, to accumulate all active doctors, and then all our colleagues who are general practitioners," Georgieva stressed. ssh/sk/

Photo: MIA