The doctors' strike is persisting steadily, the strike's general committee insisted on Monday, describing this week as the "decisive week" regarding their demands.

Egypt's doctors announced an open-ended strike early October demanding better conditions and an increase in the healthcare budget.

"No one will deter us from our demands and we will not allow anyone to deceive us", the on-strike doctors said on Monday.

The committee confirmed its commitment only to decisions made by the general council of the Doctors' Syndicate, and not to any made by administrative authorities "as they are simply against the strike".

The committee went on to say that doctors will not examine anyone at outpatient clinics or conduct non-emergency operations - whether paid or free of charge - but will examine patients in emergency rooms for free.

In the same context, activist and founder of the "Doctors Without Rights" movement, Mona Mina, said that the strike has witnessed 70 percent participation, nationwide.

She insisted that doctors will continue their strike through staging a number of demonstrations by hospitals on Tuesday morning. She threatened mass resignations "if the government fails to respond to their demands by Thursday at the most".

Meanwhile, Egypt's health ministry announced on Sunday that 76.5 percent of Egypt's hospitals are not participating in the strike.

Health minister senior official Ibrahim Mostafa said that the number of hospitals whose outpatient clinics are operating are 398, representing 76.5 percent. He added that only 46 hospitals, 8.8 percent, have fully suspended their outpatient operations while 76 hospitals were engaged in partial strike, representing 14.6 percent.

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi announced on Saturday night that he has ratified the increase in the doctors' budget.