Bolivian health workers go on strike against sanitary emergency law

Bolivia’s National Health Council, which represents health workers from all over the country, has called for a strike between today and February 28. They protest a “lack of dialogue” with the government — which passed a new sanitary emergency law on Wednesday.

Disgruntled unions claim the law allows for the government to hire health workers who do not have the necessary academic training. They are also against the state monopoly on vaccination, claiming that allowing private institutions to enter the immunization effort would speed up the rollout.

So far, only 10,000 Bolivians have been vaccinated — all of them doctors and nurses. The country has confirmed 239,000 coronavirus infections and 11,300 deaths.

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