Dozens of doctors and activists formed a human chain on Thursday to protest the deteriorating status of healthcare in Egypt.

"A fair salary structure for doctors, nurses, technicians and all employees", read one of the banners raised by the protesters.

"Our strike continues, we insist on our demands", angry demonstrators chanted.

"We held a strike for long but no one responded to our demands. We asked for hospital insurance which we are entitled to, so that we can at least afford medical supplies and provide a decent service", paediatrician Mona Askar told Aswat Masriya.

"Maybe this human chain will stir the people a bit and bring some attention towards are demands", she added.

The doctors had launched an open strike since the beginning of October demanding an increase of the spending on health in the state budget and an approval of the financial and administrative cadre of doctors.

The strike excludes emergency departments in hospitals.