France, Jan. 12 -- Hundreds of anaesthetists, surgeons and obstetricians donned surgical caps, white coats and packed small suitcases on Sunday as they left France for a symbolic three-day "exile" in Brussels, protesting against the government's health policy and what they see as a sustained squeeze on private medicine.

Around 20 buses departed from Porte Dauphine in Paris bound for the Belgian capital, carrying doctors determined to make their point heard.

"We want the government to stop attacking private medicine," said Philippe Cuq, president of Le Bloc doctors union, shortly before the convoy set off.

Once in Brussels, the aim is to get to work. "We are going to prepare around a dozen proposals that we want to submit to the [French...