Hundreds of foreign-trained doctors in France have launched a three-day hunger strike to demand better working conditions and fair pay.
According to French media, around 300 medical professionals with non-EU diplomas—known as "padhue"—are participating in the strike, calling for stronger protections and job security.
"We are stuck in an unacceptable situation," said Abdelhalim Bensaïdi, a diabetes specialist at Nanterre Hospital near Paris, in an interview with France Inter.
Some of these doctors reportedly earn up to three times less than colleagues with European diplomas, according to Euronews. Many also face uncertainty about their residency status, as their contracts are only renewed every six months.
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the issue last year, admitting that these workers were essential to the country's healthcare system while being left in a precarious situation.
His government promised reforms, partly to address doctor shortages in underserved areas.
The union representing these workers has planned a protest outside the French Ministry of Health in Paris on Saturday.
