Health Minister Thanos Plevris left open the possibility of reinstating suspended healthcare workers during an interview on Mega.
Faced with the massive shortcomings in the National Health System, Thanos Plevris appears to be throwing the door wide open by pushing the government’s policy reversal regarding unvaccinated healthcare workers—a policy that has long been on hold— in the face of the impasse created by the government’s policy.
In an effort to downplay this development, he said that for the time being, they remain suspended until the end of 2022, however, the government intends to review the epidemiological data from October and make decisions within the month: «The initial plan was to review it in December. Based on the data we have now, the decision will be made within October. The government’s approach is to review the pandemic data.”. If the data do not justify continuing the measure, they will be returned. »If they justify continuing the measure, they will remain suspended. The position we have decided on as a government is that we are following the course of the pandemic.”.
Regarding the severe shortages in the National Health System and the lack of anesthesiologists, which has caused delays in the surgery waiting lists at Agia Sofia Children’s Hospital, he stated that the surgery waiting list has been reviewed and, according to the data, approximately 1,500 surgeries have been put on hold due to the shortage of anesthesiologists.
«The real solution to the problem is the job posting for anesthesiologists and cardiologists; we hope there will be interest. If that happens, we will automatically begin to alleviate the problem; otherwise, we will be forced to find other solutions,» he said.
