An urgent letter to the governors of Health Regions and Health Units was sent by the Deputy Minister of Health, Vassilis Kontozamanis for the mandatory vaccination of those working in the health system.
According to this decision, those working in health care facilities are required to be vaccinated by 1 September, otherwise they will be replaced.
What is mentioned
The spread of the coronavirus and the prevalence of the Delta mutation require intensified measures to protect not only the staff of health facilities but also the users of their services. It is inconceivable that those who come to health facilities to receive the services necessary for the prevention, treatment or rehabilitation of a health problem should be exposed to the risk of spreading the coronavirus because of unvaccinated staff.
Therefore, with Article 206 para. 2 of Law no. 4820/2021, as you are already aware and have already acted on it, provided for compulsory vaccination against coronavirus of all staff of private, public and municipal health care facilities, including diagnostic centres, rehabilitation centres, clinics, hospitals, primary health care facilities, inpatient units, ambulance services and EODY, for urgent reasons of public health protection.
The obligation to vaccinate also covers any natural person who provides services, performs work or volunteers services and work in a physical presence, as well as any natural person who provides services, in a physical presence within the same facilities, to a legal person with which the body operating the facilities has a contract.
The above health care personnel must have received the first or only dose by 1 September and must meet the deadline for completing the vaccination cycle. Those who have been ill for a period of six months from the date of illness and those who have proven health reasons that prevent the vaccine from being administered, as judged by three-member committees per health region, according to a special list of exceptions drawn up by the National Vaccination Commission, are exempt from the vaccination requirement.
The non-compliance of the staff of the above bodies with the vaccination obligation results, in the case of public sector bodies, in the imposition of the measure of suspension of duties on any non-compliant employee for imperative reasons of public health protection,
The competent scientific bodies of the health care institutions (scientific council, infection control committee) should inform their staff about coronavirus vaccination so that those who are unvaccinated are encouraged to proceed. At the same time, we would remind them of the need to comply strictly with the above-mentioned instructions in order to ensure that vaccination against coronavirus O3\/I0-19 is compulsory.
Given that after 1.09.2021 those health workers who remain unvaccinated against coronavirus, if there is no reason for their exemption from it, will not be able to offer their work, you are invited to complete without delay all necessary actions for the replacement of the suspended staff, in accordance with the instructions that will be sent to you, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the health structures of your jurisdiction.
