SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic—Thousands of doctors and
nurses have walked off their jobs in the Dominican Republic in a
strike over wages.  The leader of the main union of medical
workers says nearly all of the 168 public hospitals in the
Caribbean country are taking part in the three-day walkout that
began Monday. Union leader Amarilis Herrera says the hospitals
will treat only emergency cases.  Herrera blames the strike on a
failure by the government to include pay raises in the budget
for next year. Some of the largest hospitals in the Dominican
Republic are private and remain open.  The public hospitals
employ about 50,000 doctors and nurses. Doctors earn about $600
to $1,000 a month and nurses get about $500 a month. They are
seeking a 60 percent wage increase.