The World - News from Dec. 11, 1986

Ecuadorean physicians risked fines and prison sentences to take part in a 24-hour strike. A spokesman for the National Doctors Federation said that private and state hospitals in 19 of Ecuador’s 20 provinces were handling only emergency cases during the strike by 15,000 doctors, who want higher salaries and more government spending on health care. Labor Minister Jorge Egas told a news conference that the strike was illegal under a law restricting the activities of workers in basic public services. The Health Ministry said the striking doctors faced fines and prison terms of up to five years.