Controversial amendment sparks debate by integrating private doctors into National Health System operations

The amendment, viewed by some as a step toward the convergence of private and public healthcare, follows legislation that permits public sector doctors to engage in private practice. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis highlighted the government’s intent to merge the efficiencies of both sectors to enhance service delivery. “We are trying to make these two systems, public and private, work together to produce better conditions for citizens,” Georgiadis stated, advocating for a broadened scope in patient service provision.

This regulatory change comes in response to unsuccessful staffing tenders within the NHS, pointing to a deeper issue of inadequate medical personnel availability that the government aims to address by incorporating private doctors. However, the fees associated with these private services within public hospitals are not yet specified and will be determined by forthcoming ministerial decisions.

Critics argue that this policy will disproportionately affect financially vulnerable groups, especially residents of remote areas and islands, who might find themselves compelled to pay out of pocket due to a lack of available public options. This scenario could deepen health service inequalities, as those unable to afford private fees may face longer waits or reduced access to necessary treatments.

The integration of private doctors is poised to introduce paid operations during the afternoon, supplementing the existing framework where public doctors already perform paid procedures outside regular hours. This development raises concerns about the potential for a two-tier system, where the ability to pay could dictate the timeliness and quality of medical care received.

The Greek opposition has vehemently criticized the government’s recent decision to integrate private doctors into the ESY arguing that this move signifies a regressive step for public healthcare. The amendment, which allows private doctors to perform paid medical procedures within public facilities, has sparked intense debate and was met with constitutional challenges from opposition parties, particularly PASOK, though these were overridden by the parliamentary majority.

Nikos Androulakis, leader of PASOK, expressed his dismay, suggesting that the amendment undermines the legacy of Giorgos Gennimatas, the founder of the ESY, and propels Greek healthcare back to the pre-1980s era. “Thirty years after the death of Giorgos Gennimatas, we are returned to the years before the establishment of the ESY, abolishing free and quality public health services,” Androulakis stated, framing the amendment as a pivot towards privatisation, carried out to benefit a few at the expense of many.

Alexis Haritsis of SYRIZA also critiqued the measure, viewing it as a continuation of the government’s privatisation agenda for the ESY, particularly criticised for its timing and manner of introduction — overnight during Holy Week. Haritsis raised concerns about the broader implications of allowing private practitioners to conduct operations and diagnostics in public hospitals during after-hours, hinting at further erosions of public healthcare provisions in the future.

The discussion also reignited past conflicts between Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and SYRIZA’s Pavlos Polakis. Georgiadis highlighted Polakis’s own involvement in private practice within a public hospital, a point Polakis countered by clarifying his services were voluntary, intended to demonstrate the capabilities of Zakynthos Hospital, contrasting it sharply with the current policy which he argues serves commercial interests.

This legislative move has stirred significant contention, with the opposition framing it as a detrimental shift that could lead to a dual-tier health system, undermining the principle of universal and free healthcare that has been a cornerstone of the ESY. The government, however, defends the amendment as a necessary response to staffing shortages and inefficiencies within the public health sector. The debate continues as the implications of this policy unfold, with the opposition calling for a reevaluation of the government’s approach to healthcare reform.

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