3rd International Conference of Doctors Unions Statement

The 3rd International Conference of Doctors Unions was held in Lisbon, Portugal, in September 27-29, 2018, organized by the National Federation of Doctors Unions (Federação Nacional dos Médicos – FNAM).

Nineteen countries were present: Argentina – Agremiación Médica Platense from “La Plata” city; Austria – Austrian Medical Chamber; Croatia – Croation Medical Union; Egypt – Egyptian Medical Syndicate; France – SNPHARE, ISNI; Germany – Marburger Bund; The Netherlands – LAD; Israel – Israel Medical Association; Latvia – LVSADA; Myanmar – Myanmar Medical Association, Yangon; New Zealand – ASMS; Slovac Republic – Lekárske Odborové Zdruzenie; Spain – Confederación Estatal de Sindicatos Médicos (CESM); Sweden – Swedish Medical Association; Poland – Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists, Okregowa Izba Lekarska Warszawie, OZZL; Portugal – Federação Nacional dos Médicos; Tanzania – TMDPWU; Uruguay – Sindicato Medico del Uruguay; and USA – Union of American Physician and Dentists.

The participants* state that:

• All people in the world have the right to get adequate medical care and to know the conditions under which they are being treated.
• The main goal of physicians is to provide this care.

Therefor:

• Working conditions should enable physicians to work in a proper way. Personal health of the physician and patient safety are the basis on which the medical care is built.
• Specific working conditions should be arranged in all countries:
  • Salaries that dignify the medical work and its responsibilities and ensure that it is attractive to stay in the country in which the physician is educated
  • Reasonable working times and sufficient resting time after working in shifts which enable physicians to reconcile work and private life.
  • Workload that enables the physician to focus on the care and keeps him healthy. Factors that affect this workload are for example: lack of colleagues and assistants, insufficient materials, administrative burden and too many patients per physician.
• The governments should be directly accountable for the deficiencies of their health care systems.

The International Conference of Medical Unions decide that these statements should be presented to the Executive Board of World Health Organization in its 144th session, 24 January–1 February 2019 – Geneva.

* The Swedish Medical Association affirm that it cannot subscribe this document in its entirety.