The exhaustion of the only pediatrician of the Samos hospital who, after continuous calls, ended up in the hospital herself brings back to the fore the issue of staff shortages in the health system.

In remote islands such as Samos, hospitals operate without the required number of doctors.

The doctor worked for several years in a hospital in Germany and returned four months ago to contribute to her country.

She was the only pediatrician at the Samos hospital.

Due to the increased workload from the multi-day calls, the doctor collapsed and was taken to Athens for treatment.

This incident highlighted a series of deficiencies in the island’s hospital.

Speaking to SKAI, the president of the Hospital workers, Stamatis Philippis stated that the doctor had resigned the day before.

At the same time, the temporary administrator of the hospital Fabio Giardina explained that the pediatrician had been on 6 calls from August 1st to August 18th when the incident occurred, with three of them being consecutive.

It is noted that, a few days earlier, the administrator had submitted her resignation from Samos hospital.

The Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadisnoted in his post on the X platform, summarized that over the last four years the hospital has been strengthened (permanent and auxiliary staff) with 22 doctors, 40 nursing staff and 58 other staff.

The doctor from Samos is better and is expected to be discharged.

Debt of an ambulance driver, the doctor of Milos

The situation is borderline in Milos as well, where the general practitioner who serves at the Health Center and yesterday was on duty without a pediatrician, cardiologist, radiologist and ambulance driver, emits a cry of anguish.

“I sent the letter, because we are working understaffed by medical staff, nursing staff, drivers. I cover the ambulance shift on call, going if we are called and transporting the patients to the health center, I cover the radiology taking x-rays, but one person cannot do all this alone”, states Elias Apostolopoulos.

In his letter, he even points out that at the height of the tourist season, emergencies are impossible to be treated by a doctor and a nurse.

“We have taken the necessary steps in order to solve the chronic problem of ambulance drivers with a move to build an ambulance station in Milos, to solve the problem of doctors as well, so that we can bring in doctors by giving monetary incentives, accommodation, feeding”, says the Markos Mallis, President of the Health Center.