Doctors are pushing behind the scenes by shielding parties and MPs in order to convince the SHSO to increase the amount that will be granted to them, in addition to their salary, for the year 2023. But they are also pushing publicly, since yesterday they issued a statement giving instructions to the SHSO and the Ministry of Health on the duties they must undertake during the 48-hour strike next Tuesday and Wednesday, officially informing that the strike will also affect emergencies. The Health Minister's response, however, was immediate. "Hospitals, ambulances, emergency departments and the Ministry of Health do not belong to you," Michalis Damianos told the unions, while organized patients also sent a message to doctors, stressing that people's lives cannot be used as a tool of pressure to satisfy financial demands.

On the part of the Government, there does not seem to have been any change of intentions, although information about the intentions of the SHSO was confused yesterday afternoon due to statements made, mainly by MPs, during morning and noon broadcasts. Officially, the SHSO continues to state that for 2023 there is no intention to give more money to doctors even if the unions proceed to close hospitals, including ICUs, for two days.

Of course, as we are informed, the background is raging and everything is fluid, while it must be assumed that the informal consultations between the parties involved will be continuous over the weekend with the outcome (until Monday evening) being unknown at the moment.

Regarding yesterday's meeting between the President of the Republic and the leadership of the Cyprus Public Health Organization, the only announcement that followed concerned the development projects amounting to €128 million. planned and involving all state hospitals in all districts. Of course, the discussion of this issue between the President and the SHSO must be taken for granted despite the fact that, at least publicly, no statements were made or it was not implied that there is an intention to give more money to doctors for 2023.