Hundreds of foreign-trained doctors have launched a three-day hunger strike across France, voicing their frustration over low pay
and uncertain work contracts.
Known locally by the acronym ‘padhue,’ this group includes qualified medical professionals whose diplomas are from outside the European Union. Despite working in French hospitals—often in areas grappling with staff shortages—they face wages up to three times lower than their EU-qualified peers and frequently rely on short-term contracts renewed every six months.
Last year, President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the crucial role these foreign doctors play in keeping the health service afloat, calling their administrative status ‘untenable.’ In theory, his government pledged to reform the system to provide better legal protection and address staff shortages in rural areas. Yet striking diabetes specialist Abdelhalim Bensaïdi, who works at Nanterre Hospital near Paris, says the reforms have stalled, leaving non-EU doctors stuck in precarious employment with no clear path to permanent residency or equitab
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