Medical Union Spokesperson: I waited for this situation to finally make officials realize how dire reality is

For his part, Valius Ąžuolas, a peasant representative who already works in the opposition, former chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Seimas (BFK) and the outgoing minister of health Aurelijus Veryga, says that the current rulers have every opportunity to find how to finance this gap. While politicians search for the culprits and try to find a way out, doctors just have to wait and wait for their needs to be met.

He states that next year’s budget does not foresee around one billion. euros

According to the new conservative president of the Seimas BFK, Mykolas Majauskas, Delphi will have to make three adjustments in the health sector in next year’s budget: about 65 million. The potential additional cost of purchasing a coronavirus vaccine is around € 36 million. 50 million euros for half a year to finance supplements for doctors working with COVID-19 and almost 50 million euros to ensure an increase in their salaries with an increase in the monthly minimum wage. In total, with all the other possible expenses, calculates M. Majauskas, the draft budget presented by the Provisional Government does not reflect approximately one billion. euros.

“Currently, the budget is in deficit, which means that we cover all the additional costs with borrowed funds. So it will be necessary to do it with additional costs,” said M. Majauskas.

According to him, in the initial version of the draft budget, the salary increase was originally envisaged only for police officers and officers of the Administrative Security Service.

“In no way am I against increasing the salaries of police officers. There is no doubt that this is necessary, but it is difficult to explain the decision to increase only for police officers and not for doctors. The current situation shows that doctors are on the front line and they save our lives. The least we can do is provide them with the best possible financing so that they can carry out their functions in the best possible way, “said the Spokesperson for Seimas BFK.

The opposition is proposing solutions to the current rulers

When asked why the state budget does not provide funds to increase medical salaries next year, former BCF president Valius Ąžuolas stressed that the project could still be adjusted.

“All these criticisms should be directed to the other side – the budget is now in your hands and your government will give us back the budget, they can do everything – they can increase salaries, they can increase pensions.” Everything is in your hands, “said V. Oak.

The parliamentarian also emphasized that other countries influence the issue of wage increases.

“It is still decided by the representatives of the tripartite council and the union. Those decisions come from those groups: how much and to whom to increase. For doctors, however, 50 percent in four years. There are salary increases, which is really significant. ”Said the former BFK president.

For his part, former Minister of Health Aurelius Veryga Delfi explained that the government led by Skvernel had avoided long-term commitments as requested by the new governors themselves. At the same time, he recalled it in 2017. The agreement signed with the medical representatives for the salary increase has already been implemented and there were no new agreements, according to A. Veryga.

“I have said repeatedly that it was necessary to provide a significantly higher amount for next year, because there has already been a significant increase in wages under our agreements this year. (…) We did not have any new agreements with any union. Signed , which we have implemented, we have finished everything, ”said the former Minister of Health.

According to him, the new governors themselves asked not to make long-term commitments.

“We have not made any new commitments, because I think the new government needs to sit at the negotiating table with the unions and reach an agreement. (…) So many promises have been shared, it will be very difficult to implement them now – it was recalled at each meeting, it was reiterated that salaries are too low, they must be increased. It will be necessary to do it now ”, added A. Veryga.

Doctors have to wait: the budget bill presented by the interim government is not surprising

As politicians break the spear in search of a way out of the situation, doctors can only hope that funds will be provided to increase their salaries. According to Jolanta Keburienė, director of the Solidarumas union of employees of medical institutions in Delfi, she was not surprised that the outgoing government did not provide money to increase the salaries of doctors.

“Personally, it was not surprising at all, as we were faced with eating, putting words on beautiful outfit, but completely different realities. We had it and we have it ”, the head of the medical union did not hide his disappointment.

According to J. Keburienė, there is still bitterness among doctors after the aforementioned 2017. In 2006 an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Health and the medical unions on equal pay for medical personnel, which provided that the salaries of nurses would reach 1.5 median salaries (DU) and medical salaries of 3 DU. So, as J. Keburienė admitted, neither the doctors nor their lawyers foresaw that the talk was just about the 2017 indicators.

“We just realized that no attorney saw us. So there wasn’t too much of a surprise. To be honest, I was even waiting for this burden, an emergency, so that in the end we could show our column, so that the officials would realize how much we are missing, what our age is and how weak we are in this place, “said J. Keburienė.

He did not hide the fact that the current rulers, while still working in the opposition during the previous period, assisted the medical union when it had problems communicating with the peasant authorities. As a result, the union leader said, the new governors are expected to properly assess the extremely difficult situation of doctors and find funds to increase doctors’ salaries.

“It just came to our knowledge then. I don’t know what can have an impact, what can change, because sometimes in other circumstances we see people on the other side, but until today we have seen people who assess the situation in a normal and appropriate way. ”Said J. Keburienė.

At the same time, he called on the authorities not to oppose the need for a salary increase for officials, but simply to redistribute priorities.

“We must prioritize what is most important to us in the state, rather than looking for what is most important between the two important ones. (…) We must ensure that these groups do not compete with each other, so that the population does not try to classify them. It seems to me that we can really identify what is a priority for us and in no way detract from the officials (the planned funding – DELFI). The leaves should not be broken in this way, there are priority areas and maybe we can take advantage of them, ”added J. Keburienė.

New governors promise to ensure medical salaries increase

When presenting the government program to the Seimas on Tuesday, the future prime minister did not hide his surprise at A. Veryga’s question about whether the new government will find funds to increase the salaries of doctors.

“Cynical!” Answered I. Šimonyt Respon after hearing the question from the outgoing minister.

In response, the head of government said that the situation was not pleasant as any further decision would mean higher deficits and higher public debt.

“I don’t even know how to answer your question correctly. Everything would not be wrong if it were not yet the acting minister, who recently presented the PSDF budget project, which provides for the salaries of doctors, you know, nothing,” I indignant. Šimonytė.

However, he stressed that he would do everything “that he can do in the current circumstances” to provide funds for the increase in medical salaries in the government’s final draft budget for next year.

It was also seconded by M. Majauskas.

“I think we have to make sure of that,” said Delfi, president of the BFK, who said there was no need or plan to “cut” funds to increase salaries for officials.