"Landrón knew this strike would come": nurses paralyze services for 24 hours

Santo Domingo.– In unison, nurses from different health centers across the country initiated a 24-hour national strike this Wednesday to demand concrete responses from the authorities, whom they accuse of ignoring repeated warnings about the situation.

During the day of protest, the nursing staff assured that the director of the National Health Service (SNS), Julio César Landrón, had prior knowledge that the strike would occur, due to the lack of response after exposing their demands without receiving solutions. They recalled that, on multiple occasions, the official has stated that the health system is in good condition and that needs are being met, a situation that —they affirm— does not align with the reality faced by nurses and assistants in the face of the constant strikes affecting the citizenry. "We were summoned to meetings where we were practically ignored. On occasion, we were informed that those responsible could not receive us, while our demands remained unanswered," expressed union representatives. We recommend reading: The strike, which affects public hospitals in different provinces, arises in response to the lack of attention to historical demands of the sector, including salary improvements, decent working conditions, staff appointments, and the adequate supply of supplies in health centers. Among the main demands, the nursing staff highlighted the application of the incentive for time in service, which —according to them— has never been implemented in that hospital center. They indicated that this benefit should be granted every five years as recognition of seniority. The protesters reiterated that the paralysis was a necessary measure given the authorities' lack of willingness to address their demands, despite the fact that, according to them, the conflict had been warned about in advance. They warned that if they did not obtain satisfactory answers, they could radicalize the actions in the coming days.