Healthcare union head Alaa Al-Maliki says demonstrations will continue for public sector jobs

BAGHDAD – Alaa Al-Maliki, the head of the Health Professions Syndicate, said in an interview with media personality Khamael Al-Kateb on DIjlah TV that demonstrations by graduates not given public sector jobs, claiming that the finance minister treated them with “arrogance and condescension”.

He noted that they have proposed a solution to the crisis which involves postponing the appointment of the 29,000 covered until the end of this year, provided that all 57,000 graduates are appointed at once at the beginning of next year.

He blamed the Ministry of Higher Education for what he described as the ‘chaos’ of opening private colleges without considering the actual need.

Excerpts from the interview:

• The Health Professions Law of 2000 mandates the appointment of graduates and is binding, enforceable, and not repealed by a new law.
• The Finance Minister met us with exaggerated arrogance, and I say to her directly: “You are arrogant.”
• The triennial budget is clear and explicit, and its paragraphs exempt medical group graduates from the non-appointment clauses and do not limit appointments to only 29,000 of those covered.
• Our demonstrations are ongoing, and most of the incoming graduates from the provinces are still present at the headquarters of the Health Professions Union.
• Our rights were lost between the Ministries of Health and Finance, with both ministries throwing accusations and shirking responsibility for appointing only 29,000 of those covered.
• We proposed to government advisors to stop appointing the 29,000 currently for three months, with the aim of providing financial liquidity, so that all 57,000 can be appointed at the beginning of next year.
• Private colleges have caused chaos by graduating thousands of health professionals, and we had previously recommended not to establish new medical colleges and departments.
• The Minister of Higher Education postponed the prohibition of establishing new medical colleges and departments until further notice during a cabinet session.
• The Ministry of Higher Education is establishing private colleges based on “commissions” and not according to the actual need as required by central appointment conditions.