More than ten thousand doctors from the nine districts of Ulaanbaatar and all 21 provinces have peacefully demonstrated on the capital’s Victory Square, today (4th of October). The doctors are demanding a salary increase of 50 percent in the 2018 state budget.

Last week, Mongolian Health Workers’ Union handed over a petition signed by 20 thousand doctors demanding a salary increase to parliament, the cabinet, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Health. Government sources have said that an additional MNT 155 billion is required in the 2018 state budget in order to meet the doctors’ demands.

The monthly salary of Mongolian doctors currently averages MNT 520-560 thousand (USD 211-227).

The doctors’ pay demands comes after strike action by Mongolia’s teachers.