Translation of the News Article
Meeting with the National Coordination of Tunisian Health Professionals
Last Tuesday, the Health, Women's, Family, Social, and Disability Affairs Committee held a hearing session with representatives of the National Coordination of Tunisian Health Professionals regarding the draft law on the general status of the health sector.
Main Concerns and Proposals
The representatives of the coordination estimated that although the bill explicitly mentions in its first article that health professions are considered arduous, it does not translate this into the other chapters. According to them, these provisions are largely inspired by Law No. 112 of 1983 on the public function, which is not adapted to the specificities of the health sector. They also highlighted that some public health structures have the status of public establishments, which allows their staff to benefit from many advantages compared to the public function, a point that the bill did not take into consideration.
Proposed Amendments
The representatives of the coordination presented an explanatory memorandum and a written proposal containing major modifications to the original text. These amendments include new chapters that aim primarily to establish important financial incentives and bonuses for health personnel, such as the introduction of a 13th month. They also propose benefits for the career of agents, particularly in terms of promotion and progression. Other provisions, deemed essential to encourage health personnel to work in the interior regions and reduce brain drain, were also submitted.
Key Incentives and Bonuses Proposed
The main incentives and bonuses proposed include:
- Provision of official housing
- Possibility of early retirement at 55
- Comprehensive health coverage after retirement They also demand a revision of the provisions related to the protection of health personnel, particularly the strengthening of penal sanctions in case of aggression against a health agent during the exercise of their functions.
