The State Council Administrative Court adjourned on Sunday the appeal filed by the State Litigation Authority on behalf of the government to 25 December. The appeal was filed against the verdict issued in November 2015 in favour of increasing the infections allowance for doctors.
Doctors organised a protest early on Sunday in front of the court in opposition to the implementation of this increase being hindered. Doctors are compensated just EGP 19 currently despite being at high risk of contracting an infection in their line of work.
In June, the court rejected a request filed by the government, demanding that implementation of the issued verdict be halted; however, the request was rejected.
Member of the Legal Committee at the Doctors Syndicate Tarek Kamel told Daily News Egypt that the initial decision was issued in November 2015 and that it had to be implemented, even if it was appealed.
The government filed the request in June and demanded the halt of its implementation until the court’s ruling, but the court rejected the request. The parties involved in the dispute are now waiting for the ruling. Kamel added that he has no idea why the court adjourned Sunday’s session.
The Doctors Syndicate has sent several letters to the parliament, Health Ministry, and the cabinet to implement the court ruling regarding the increase in infections allowance, but no response was received.
The syndicate further noted that an allowance of EGP 19 is too low compared to the civil servants in other sectors.
According to the Doctors Syndicate, about six doctors have died over the past three years and dozens had been left with long-lasting issues after they contracted an infection during work.
