The health sector collapses in Greece
Due to the insufficiency of health personnel in Greece, there are problems in the health centers of the tourist islands.
Speaking to Politico on the subject, Giorgos Mathiopoulos, director of Greece’s National Emergency Aid Center (EKAV), said: “We have to redesign our ambulance service from scratch as there are huge gaps in the country.” he used his statements.
Mathiopoulos said: “We have sent some (health) workers from other regions to the islands to meet the growing demand from the health sector during the tourist season. Our colleagues had to sacrifice the summer holidays for this, but these are, of course, temporary solutions. he made statements.
AMBULANCE PROBLEM
3 new ambulances were purchased for the 40,000 residents of the island of Kos and more than 1 million visitors who flock to the island each tourist season. However, an ambulance needs 11 people to be available 24/7. Since there are only 10 EMTs on the island, only 1 ambulance can be operated.
In June, an unconscious 63-year-old woman died in Kos during the response of the only active ambulance to another emergency, while trying to get herself taken to hospital in a van.
In the capital Athens, a 19-year-old 8-month-pregnant woman died after 5 hours of making more than 20 calls for an ambulance, and her baby could not be saved. It is on record that while around 90 ambulances should be ready in Athens, only around 50 ambulances are on duty during the day.
HEALTH WORKERS DO NOT LIKE WORKING ON THE ISLANDS
It is claimed that healthcare professionals do not like to work on the islands due to the high cost of living, and it is one of the main problems in finding long-term rental housing due to the high prices of daily rental houses for tourists .
EKAV and doctors are also reacting to the government’s appointment of firefighters, members of the army and drivers from local authorities to make up for staff shortages in tourist areas.
The dangers of untrained first responders at the scene of the emergency are pointed out.
Opposition parties argue that state hospitals, said to be in much worse condition than before the Covid-19 epidemic, should be privatized.
Greek Prime Minister Kiryakos Mitsotakis, who was re-elected in June, claimed the NHS was a priority and promised to hire 10,000 health workers, including 800 ambulance drivers and 250 motorcycle emergency medicine technicians.
The Confederation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDYN) argues that the contracts will only serve to replace recently retired staff. (AA)