“It is widely recognised that these staffing shortages did not arise suddenly or without cause,” the statement read. “They stem from the ongoing discrediting of the ESY and the Ministry of Health’s failure to implement incentives for underserved and problematic areas that have been legislated for years. The gaps are also due to the state’s refusal to comply with court rulings mandating the restoration of ESY doctors’ salaries to pre-austerity levels. Moreover, there has been a lack of job announcements, leading to over 6,000 vacancies and significant delays in filling positions.”
The provision by Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis mandates that private doctors contracted with the National Organisation for the Provision of Health Services (E.O.P.Y.Y.) must provide part-time services to cover urgent public health needs if requested. If private doctors refuse, their contracts with E.O.P.Y.Y. will be terminated, and they will be excluded from accessing the Electronic Prescription System (ESS).
The Panhellenic Medical Association condemned this regulation, accusing the Ministry of Health of attempting to conceal its own incompetence by employing authoritarian methods. “It is both incomprehensible and insulting to hear the Minister of Health speak of an alleged debt doctors owe to the state, especially given the medical community’s self-sacrifice during the pandemic. The ministry’s approach is a contemptuous response to the medical profession’s dedication,” the statement added.
The Association also noted that this regulation undermines all good-faith efforts made by the Association to address staffing issues in the 14 hospitals facing the most significant challenges.
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