Medical staff stage massive protest in France

In a rare show of unity among France’s medical professionals, tens of thousands of doctors, nurses and students held a boisterous demonstration against the proposed changes of President Francois Hollande. Just this week it was revealed that the government plans to cut a staggering 3 billion euros from the hospital budget, meaning fewer beds, shorter stays, and worse service.

France has the reputation of having the best health care system in the world, but plenty of data shows that’s simply not true anymore.

A recently leaked memo from the nation’s intelligence services said that France’s hospitals are on the edge of “explosion”, as years of inadequate funding have put both staff and patients on edge.

Five years of austerity measures have many comparing the situation to the United Kingdom under Margaret Thatcher, with medical staff reporting that people are dying on stretchers because no beds are available

A very busy flu season has revealed just how over-saturated the nation’s hospitals are, and the austerity cuts will cause some 22,000 jobs to vanish by 2017..

France’s medical system actually gives doctors a great deal of independence, but the proposed measures would increase the government’s oversight. Hollande’s plan will be debated in Parliament this week, and the months of labor unrest in the medical field is expected to continue.