Concern dominates the leadership of the Ministry of Health, as only 11 out of a total of 140 private doctors agreed to provide services in order to cover on-call and other needs in public hospitals. For this reason, the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, gave a two-week ultimatum to private doctors to cover health needs before the Pleuris law is activated, which in emergency situations can oblige them to assist the National Social Security.

The law will concern private doctors of specific specialties, mainly pathologists, who practice their duties in areas where there are unmet health needs and barren announcements in the National Health Service.

Adonis Georgiadis had warned the doctors, with the Medical Associations and agencies, to respond that this is not an emergency as it was during the pandemic.

Speaking yesterday, Thursday at the 15th Pharma and Health Conference, the minister pointed out that the leadership of the Ministry of Health cannot show indifference to the under-functioning of provincial hospitals and will proceed with a kind of requisition.

Referring in particular to the 14 hospitals with barren announcements of positions in critical specialties, he cited the case of Kos as an example and described that four positions of pathologists and another four of pediatricians were simultaneously announced in 14 announcements. There are 9 private individuals on the island and the hospital management, at the urging of the minister, offered them on-call duty with a pad, without yielding a good result. Regarding the solution to the problem of hospitals with barren notices, the minister commented that “demand is a barbaric word”, while he added that private doctors cannot say they don’t care if the hospital is working

What does the Panhellenic Medical Association answer?

In its angry letter-response, the Panhellenic Medical Association refers to threatening statements by the Minister of Health, noting that “They are absolutely unjustified direct or veiled threats, besides actually making the problem worse, which we assume you don’t intend.”

He states that “we are surprised to hear your threatening statements in the Parliament regarding the doctors who practice medicine privately in areas with understaffed Hospitals. We are also informed of oral and written requests from Hospital Administrators to Medical Associations for the provision of contact information of these colleagues” states the president of PIS, Mr. Athanasios Hexadaktylos, in the letter, noting that “you have never raised the problem that you are now citing as urgent. Consequently, direct or veiled threats are completely unjustified.”

Referring to the issue of the mandatory provision of services by private doctors, he emphasizes that “such calm reports (since we have neither a pandemic, nor a war, nor a natural disaster) are far from well-intentioned democratic administration, as they essentially disrupt the possibility of practicing medicine” .

It states in detail

“We are surprised to hear your threatening statements in the Parliament regarding the doctors who practice medicine privately in areas with understaffed Hospitals. We are also informed of oral and written requests from Hospital Administrators to Medical Associations for the provision of contact information of these colleagues.

First of all, let us point out that you have never raised the problem that you are now citing as urgent, even though this has been known for years. Therefore direct or veiled threats are completely unwarranted, apart from actually making the problem worse, which we assume you don’t intend.

For your convenience, we remind you of the following:

Pathology as a specialty is unattractive and such actions will push it into the repulsive. After all, it is known that one of the main disincentives for joining the institution of a personal doctor are corresponding provisions of the law.
Such quiescent reports (since we have neither a pandemic, nor a war, nor a natural disaster) are far from well-intentioned democratic administration, as they fundamentally disrupt the ability to practice medicine.
There is a danger that doctors will flee from problem areas and at the same time they will not attract anyone who is in the big urban centers or abroad.
They concern people to whom the state has already treated with no results in the past (dismissal from IKA in 2014, termination of contracts with EOPYY in 2018), depriving citizens of valuable medical services.
We understand that E.S.Y. it is unattractive and for this reason we have repeatedly presented you with proposals, which you do not take advantage of. Especially for the barren areas you have a colossal backlog, the revaluation of the fighting allowance over 12 months overdue, as it was legislated in 2022 with a provision for the MLA to be issued by the end of June 2023!!
In addition, towards the medical world, obligations are pending on your part from 2022 when the conclusion of an MOU between P.I.S. was legislated. -.E.O.P.Y.Y., which you have defiantly placed in the file of deeds, although sometimes you use it verbally. Recently, a series of measures related to laboratory doctors have also been added, which in total remain words.

Mr. Minister

The problem of E.S.Y. it is major and due to lack of money particularly complicated. But with threats and violence only complications should be expected. And of course we regret to predict that the “reforms” concerning hospital doctors’ free time will have little, if any, effect.

In any case, P.I.S. he is by law the official adviser of the state, which whenever he used his suggestions had only positive results. The condition is, of course, that the threats be revoked and that you make them available.”