Peru doctors stage national healthcare strike

Thousands of doctors in Peru staged a national strike Wednesday in protest of a government bill seeking to merge the country's public health care system with the social security system.

If passed by Congress, the proposed legislation would hand over funding meant for social security medical services, run by EsSalud, to the Health Ministry.

EsSalud's annual budget is currently protected, and may not be used for any purpose other than health care services.

"They want to steal our budget from us, which is guaranteed throughout the country, and give it to MINSA (Health Ministry), which is bankrupt," said Dr. Alfredo da Silva, who was protesting with his colleagues outside Peru's Congress building in the capital Lima.

The legislative proposal is President Pedro Castillo's top priority.