A large majority of medical students from ULB and UMONS say they are ready to suspend their participation in hospital guards within the University Hospitals of Brussels (HUB), according to a press release released on Saturday by the Inter-University Committee of Students in Medicine (CIUM) and several student organizations. This mobilization follows the elimination of expenses linked to these guards, decided without prior consultation.
The CIUM, the Office of Student Administrators (BEA), the Student Representative Organization (ORE) and the Federation of Francophone Students (FEF) denounce a decision which “ “hits hundreds of medical students hard” and directly concerns the internships carried out within the HUB, the main place of clinical training for these faculties.
Around 300 students are on call each month in this university hospital. Until now, these were subject to a limited payment, intended to cover travel costs. The student organizations judge that the requirement to maintain these guards without compensation constitutes “an unacceptable organizational injustice, a flagrant disregard, and a profound disrespect for the work of these future doctors”.
A survey carried out among students in blocks 4, 5 and 6 of the two universities shows that 93% of them are in favor of a movement to suspend presence on guard. This position follows a decision described as unilateral, announced retroactively “one month and one week” and without consultation of student representatives.
Faced with this situation, a strike notice was filed for the guards. A general meeting is planned for Monday, April 13 in order to validate the terms of action and organize the mobilization.
Student organizations, however, affirm that they remain attentive to the continuity of care and the quality of clinical training. They indicate that students wishing to voluntarily provide unpaid childcare can do so in consultation with their services.
In their press release, the signatories recall the concrete role of students in hospital services, in particular “within the emergency, surgery and obstetrics gynecology services”, where they “are an integral part of the first line” and contribute to lightening the burden of senior and post-graduate doctors.
While maintaining pressure, student organizations are calling for the opening of a dialogue. They indicate that they have requested meetings with the management of the HUB and ULB in order to “find a quick and fair solution”, but specify that “to date, no contact has been established”.
The message addressed to the authorities is intended to be unambiguous: “medical students are not a labor force that can be hired or hired at will”, believing that recognition of their work must occur during training.
Read also: The HUB no longer pays medical student guards, representatives are worried
Access to all features is reserved for healthcare professionals.
If you are a healthcare professional you must log in or register for free on our site to access all of our content.
If you are a journalist or if you wish to inform us, write to us at redaction@rmnet.be.
