Health minister to meet with GPs and outpatient specialists to try to avert strike action

Czech Health Minister Vlastimil Válek will meet with GPs and outpatient specialists on Thursday in a last-ditch effort to avert a two-day strike planned for next week. The protest is against the healthcare funding decree for 2025, which doctors say fails to take into account rising costs.

Hospitals have said they will not join the strike action, but they support the protest of general practitioners and outpatient specialists. Moreover, regional hospitals have protested against the fact that under the existing system they receive less money for the same operations than their colleagues from large, faculty hospitals and are planning to file a complaint to the Constitutional Court.

The two-day strike is planned for October 29 to October 30.