A work stoppage from 8.00 am to 3.00 pm in Attica and a 24-hour strike for the Region’s health structures has been announced for Wednesday, July 12 by the Panhellenic Federation of Employees in Public Hospitals (POEDIN), with the central message “Public Health problems cannot wait”. .

The federation invites its members to a nationwide gathering at 8:30 at the Ministry of Health and a march to the Ministry of Finance. He complains about the underfunding and understaffing of the Public Health System, as he says, and asks for the resolution of the sector’s financial and institutional demands.

“Now everyone admits that the Public Health System has problems and needs immediate interventions for regeneration, even though three years of pandemic intervened during which its irreplaceable and invaluable role was shown. Despite this, the chronic pathologies of under-funding and under-staffing were not addressed”, reports POEDIN.

The Federation expresses its strong disagreement “with the proposal for establishment in Private Sector Hospitals in any form” and requests that limits be placed on its operation.

Underfunding is the main cause of the problems, states POEDIN, emphasizing that the amount of public health expenditure is 5% of GDP, while the average of the countries of the European Union in public health expenditure is 7.5% of GDP. with the result that “the quality of the services provided is constantly being degraded, access is becoming difficult and unequal and private health costs are skyrocketing”.

In our country, according to the Federation, “private health costs are at 40% of the total health costs of the three largest in Europe. Overdue liabilities in Hospitals exceed 1.2 billion euros. In Hospitals the vacant organic positions are 45,000, contract workers working in Hospitals amount to 20,000, contractors offer middle age working conditions […] The regional Hospitals, of the island and the mainland, have been transformed for years into transfer centers with great risk for the patients due to delays and great financial burden on the relatives […] In Greece, there are 3.5 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants in contrast to the average of the countries of the European Union, which is 5.3 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants. 40% of operating theaters are closed, resulting in waiting times for regular surgeries of up to three years. Instead of recruitment, in order to operate all operating theaters, paid afternoon surgeries are being promoted.”

Deficiencies in EKAV

The tragic events in the last few days due to the administrative problems of EKAB have once again highlighted the perennial problems, the Federation reports. “In Attica, half of the ambulances that are needed to provide safe pre-hospital care operate day (45) and night (25). In most of the islands of the Aegean there is an ambulance on duty”. In order to solve the problems, the Federation notes, the hiring of permanent lifeguards, the permanence of contract workers, wage and service incentives to attract lifeguards and other health professionals, salary increases, and honesty from the State are needed.

The immediate supply of ambulances is needed to replace the old ones that have exceeded 1 million kilometers and are constantly in the garages.

“Covering the gaps with uniformed officers is not a solution. EKAV rescuers study pre-hospital care, first aid for 2 years at IEK EKAV schools and other DIEK schools and 6 months of practical training in ambulances. The uniformed officers have no relevant training. Since 2016, there has been a corresponding law for the involvement of the local self-government, of the uniformed officers in the transfers. It didn’t work,” concludes POEDIN.