The decision on the operation of the afternoon surgeries will be signed immediatelys, pointed out the Minister of Health A. Georgiadis, presenting today the data on the organization and operation of afternoon surgeries in the NHS hospitals.

“We are not privatizing the NHS. Anyone would be a fool to think we don’t need the NHS. Our purpose is to strengthen the NHS and strengthen its public character. We love the NHS, that’s why we take care and that’s why we work”, clarified Mr. Georgiadis.

From the beginning, afternoon surgeries were my priority, emphasized the Minister of Health and added: “We don’t tell hospitals today that in a month you will introduce afternoon surgeries. We ask that they tell us who can and who wants to. The decision will be made jointly by the clinics and the hospital administration.”

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Deputy Minister Marios Themistokleous presented the health reforms and the operation of the afternoon surgeries.

Analyzing the data on which the afternoon surgeries will operate the Deputy Minister of Health Marios Themistokleous emphasized that the afternoon surgeries are implemented in all public health systems and mean better health and quality of services.

Today, as he said, 7.6 million citizens are waiting to be operated on with a 12-month wait in Britain.

With regard to our country, he pointed out that “we did a liquidation, 38% had undergone surgery or no longer needed surgery. Now doctors only register electronically and in 6 months with the help of IDIKA we will check everything centrally. Now they wait 102,000 cases with 57% corresponding to 58,175 patients waiting more than 4 months. The most incidents are waiting in Northern Greece, where most of the waiting time is recorded.”

Regarding operations, cataract surgery is 18% of the total, followed by knee arthroplasty with 9% and cholecystectomy with 7%. As it became known, insured citizens will be able to choose a clinic with less waiting even within the hospital itself.

Operations are divided into 6 categories (very small, small, medium, large, heavy, extremely heavy).

The cost for the citizen is from 300 euros – 2,000 euros

As Mr. Themistokleous said, afternoon surgeries on average will cost 800 euros compared to 3,500 euros in the private sector for surgeon 1 and 2, anesthetist, nurse and other staff involved.

“Those cases that have been on the list for more than 4 months will be operated on without charge in the afternoon surgeries” he emphasized and said that the financing will be done from the Recovery fund.

Mr. Georgiadis noted that “we give an additional way out to a person who wants to pay a reasonable cost to be operated on as early as possible. We are not legalizing the bag – as some say – which remains illegal and we will continue to pursue it.”

As the Minister of Health pointed out, the afternoon surgeries will be done transparently, at a much lower cost than the private sector, and attention will be paid to detail. “The only place that should compete with the afternoon surgeries are the private centers, because they will have excellent scientists, organized hospitals and competitive services” he emphasized.

What we are trying to do is to make the doctor’s position more attractive, explained Mr. Georgiadis, adding that the response from doctors is to increase their salaries. “In order for the doubling of the fees of the NHS doctors to happen, we will have to put in another ENFIA. Doctors should increase their incomes in a legal way. The evening surgeries will contribute to this, which will also eliminate corruption. We will give doctors an additional incentive to come to the NHS”, he concluded.

Mr. Georgiadis also referred to surgery list, which has been in force since February 1, but is not yet in public view, saying: “In three months the list will be made public so that citizens will know with complete transparency how long they will have to wait for their regular surgery depending on with which clinic they will choose. This will also motivate the clinics to work more efficiently and with noble competition.”

The average waiting time fell to 1/3 for the morning ED clinicsIn relation to how much it was 20 years ago when the afternoon clinics were established, the Minister of Health pointed out, saying that there were the same reactions when the afternoon clinics were established at the National Health Service.