`We are desperate': French hospital staff confront Macron French nurses and doctors have faced off with President Emmanuel Macron at a leading Paris hospital, demanding higher pay and more investment in their once-renowned medical systemPARIS -- French nurses and doctors faced off with President Emmanuel Macron at a leading Paris hospital Friday, demanding better pay and a rethink of a once-renowned public health system that found itself quickly overwhelmed by tens of thousands of virus patients. We no longer believe in you,” said a nurse who confronted Macron at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, saying she's using a long-expired surgical mask. “For months I was asking for equipment, and we had only three days to fight against the virus," Martin Hirsch, head of the Paris hospital network, told Macron. The French hospital problems long predate the virus crisis, and emergency room workers held strikes and protests for months last year demanding more hiring and funding after years of job losses. Macron's government announced a plan last year to address the growing concerns, and pledged bonuses for medical staff when the virus hit.

Source: ABC News May 15, 2020 12:32 UTC