Medical Science Campus clinics streamline appointments due to strike.

The strike at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus was part of a day of protests by various sectors across the university system. (Facebook via Colectiva Feminista en Construcción)

By THE STAR STAFF

The University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus (RCM-UPR) announced on Monday that the clinics of the Intramural Medical Practice Plan would only see patients with scheduled appointments while students at the UPR Río Piedras campus marched as part of a systemwide strike to demand the resignation of UPR President Zayira Jordán Conde.

The Intramural Medical Practice Plan clinics are located in the Reparto Metropolitano shopping center. 

Appointments at the School of Dental Medicine Clinic and the Psychiatry Clinic, located in the Guillermo Arbona building on campus, were previously rescheduled. 

The RCM-UPR urged everyone to stay tuned to its official social media channels for updated information. 

Meanwhile, island Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero issued warnings -- which were rejected -- about the impact the work stoppage would have on patients with complex conditions. 

The decision comes after Ramos Otero asked the unions and organizations calling for the strike last Friday to exclude the Intramural Clinic from the work stoppage, noting that it is an access point to specialized services for some 800 patients who already have scheduled appointments, many of whom have waited between eight and 10 months to be seen. 

The official warned that the interruption of those services could cause additional delays of equal or greater duration, as well as complications in delicate clinical cases, including biopsies, adjustments to anticoagulant treatments, and pre-surgical evaluations.

The strike at the RCM was part of a day of protests by various sectors, as the Health Department has insisted on the need to keep essential services operational to avoid interruptions in specialized medical care.

Also on Monday, Jordán Conde held a meeting with Gov. Jenniffer González Colón as part of coordinated efforts to address the current situation of the university system and continue advancing solutions aimed at strengthening its academic, fiscal, and operational stability.

In that context, the president presented the main elements of the explanatory memorandum submitted to the Legislative Assembly as part of the budget request for fiscal year 2026-2027, in a strategic management aimed at ensuring the continuity of academic operations and the institutional development of UPR.

As part of the budget  proposal, an additional allocation of $118 million is contemplated for the Classification and Remuneration Plan for teaching, non-teaching and management staff, a measure aimed at addressing salary equity, strengthening talent retention and ensuring the operational stability of the institution.

“This effort responds to an urgent need for the university,” the UPR president said. “We have initiated a process that had been under evaluation for years, and today we present it as a clear priority to ensure the continuity and quality of our academic services.”