Nurse Begins Hunger Strike Against Health Cuts

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Monday November 29 2010

A NURSE began a one-man hunger strike against health service cuts in Tenerife's capital Santa Cruz on Monday.

by JAMES TWEEDIE

Nurse Julian Peyrolón (pictured, in white) set up camp outside the regional Health ministry in protest at proposed budget cuts of 12 per cent that would see almost 2,000 of his colleagues lose their jobs.

Lashing the guy ropes of his small tent to two public benches on the Rambla de Santa Cruz against the second government storm and flood warning in five days, Mr Peyrolón pointed out that the average cuts to health services across Spain were just 4 per cent.

He warned of a brain drain in medical professionals, saying: “Here there are faculties of medicine and nursing, which cost the Canarian people money.

“But the doctors and nurses go to other countries, because there is no work here for them, because here healthcare doesn't matter.

“We pay much for private healthcare, but the government doesn't fund public healthcare.”

Mr Peyrolón vowed to consume nothing but water and a little salt until the demands of the Canarian Platform for Health were met.

He said that by going on hunger strike alone, he was less likely to lose willpower and break his fast.

The group launched a petition against the budget cutbacks at the same time, which will be presented to the regional parliament on December 22 – the day that debate on the cuts ends and a vote is taken.

The healthcare cuts by the Canarian Coalition-Popular Party coalition government will also see a reduction in hospital doctors' night-duty pay from €11 to €7 per hour – a move which may provoke a strike.

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