'Forgotten heroes': Hundreds of Italian doctors and nurses strike over working conditions

They demand respect, call themselves "the forgotten heroes", and, most importantly, are determined to have their voices heard.

Transcript

00:00 They demand respect, calling themselves the forgotten heroes, and most importantly, they

00:07 want their voices to be heard. Despite the heavy rain, hundreds of Italian doctors and

00:15 nurses gathered in central Rome on Tuesday to strike over working conditions and to protest

00:20 against recent measures affecting the public health sector. They want the government to

00:27 invest more resources to improve employment contracts. Above all, they would like the

00:32 profession to become more appealing to younger people to fill a shortage across the country.

00:38 Italy's healthcare system has been recently ranked as one of the best in the world and

00:43 it's one of the country's main assets. That's why so many doctors here today are wondering

00:48 what has happened, especially after COVID and after the country was on the front line

00:53 in the fight against the virus.

01:00 Many believe that being a doctor is a privilege and that it's a privilege to be able to work

01:07 in a profession that is on the brink of bankruptcy.

01:14 Many believe that being a doctor is a vocation and not just a job. They claim that if the

01:34 service is bad, patients end up paying the price.

01:59 Doctors were not expecting such high level of participation. Up to 80% of healthcare

02:05 workers in each Italian region joined Tuesday's strike action. A second one has already been

02:10 planned before the end of the month.