The first attempt to find a way out of the one week old strike by medical doctors in French Polynesia has failed.
The territory's health minister, Armelle Merceron, says she invited a delegation of disgruntled physicians to come and explain their grievances.
Mrs Merceron says the leader of the recently-formed "Union of Medical Profession of French Polynesia", Dr Jean-Paul Theron, did not seem to want to find a negotiated solution out of the confrontation.
Public sector doctors have recently labelled the minister as incompetent, an accusation rejected by the territory's president, Gaston Flosse, who said the behaviour would not be tolerated.
Public and private sector doctors began a general strike over a week ago in opposition to a plan by the local social security system, the CPS, to impose a ceiling on the yearly level of reimbursed care.
Doctors claim the projects are putting the whole health care system of French Polynesia at risk.
Most medical centres and clinics are closed as a result of the strike.
A court in Pape'ete has ruled that the public doctors' strike is illegal and ordered medical professionals to return to work immediately because they hadn't given five days notice.
Mrs Merceron says her door remains open to anybody wishing to contribute pragmatic solutions.
