By Chrysostomos Tsoufis

Two months, 2.5 months, 3 months… That’s approximately how long a person with a disability needs to wait to make an appointment with the committee that will certify that disability.
And if it seems like a long time, which it is, things were much worse until a few years ago, that is, before the Ministry of Labor started to take initiatives. The waiting time could reach 7 and 8 months, in some cases even 12.

The problem is that for in approximately 160,000 of the cases which must be examined in the KEPAs, there are only 500 doctors, whose power has not been strengthened since 2011 when the KEPAs began to operate. These 500, EFKA is trying to “get” them, ideally 1200 although the interest so far is not what was expected, by opening a platform through which it invites doctors to register in the register of a special body of doctors and work alongside their work and for KEPAs.

The invitation concerns both private individuals doctors as well as those who work in the NSS. The issue of specialty is not a priority, however the biggest shortages seem to be in neurologists, psychiatrists, cardiologists, pathologists and paediatricians according to information.

Working on the KEPA disability certification committees does not mean that doctors should leave their current employment. On the contrary, there is great flexibility and they are given the possibility to determine the number of committees in which they can participate daily and also when they will meet.

And all this with the indemnity…. The relevant announcement even foresees a doubling of the fees. So for the members of the committees – which are three members – the fee increases from €7 to €10.50 while for home visits the fee increases from €21 to €31. In cases of off-site examinations, the above amounts are increased by €3 per incident, while travel and overnight expenses are covered.

The chairman of the committees after the increases will receive €15 and €45 respectively. The maximum daily number of evaluations – when these are done at KEPA – is 22!

Applications are made on the website https://www.efka.gov.gr/aitisi-esi with the platform remaining open until May 26.