The health service cannot stand the ongoing strike by the Association of Academics much longer without compromising patent safety, according to a report by the Directorate of Health.
The Directorate asked for details on the impact the strike is having on health services from all the main hospitals and health service providers in the country, and all responded that the disruption was severe, and growing.
Since the beginning of the strike by Association of Academics members, 354 operations have been postponed, 5,435 scans, and 60 percent of blood tests and biopsies. At least 1,538 outpatient appointments have also been postponed, mbl.is reports.
In addition to these, the Landspítali and Akureyri hospitals report that exemption requests for medical staff to break strike for urgent cases have been denied by the Association of Academics, which is putting patients in danger. The exemption denials have largely been affecting cancer patients and others who need ongoing treatment, including regular scans and blood tests.
According to the Directorate of Health, the message is clear: healthcare providers are unable to ensure the safety of their patients under current circumstances and the strike must end very soon.
