Hospitals to only provide emergency care from Friday

Most Czech hospitals will only be providing emergency care starting from Friday, December 1, as doctors are refusing to work additional overtime for the coming month in protest at a recent government decision concerning them. Most non-urgent examinations and operations have been cancelled.

Almost half of doctors working in hospitals are participating in the protest, which is in reaction to the government's decision to allow an almost twofold increase in the number of overtime hours that medics can work per year. Prime Minister Petr Fiala is meeting with the representatives of the protesting doctors on Thursday in a last-ditch attempt to try to avert the protests.