Once again, a necessary reform, the unification of primary healthcare units, has lead to an extreme conflict with the people – suffering and unable to be taken care of- being the usual victims. Once again the people are watching helplessly as a full-on clash, presumably in their interest, between the Health Minister and EOPYY doctors.
It is a fact that the interest in healthcare are huge, but we must also concede that the policies implemented until now have neither improved the healthcare provided to the people, nor have they curbed expenses in a rational way.
The international financial crisis, especially in our country, as well as the need to “decompress” the hospitals from many patients who do not need hospital care, demand the organization of a primary healthcare system that will contribute towards better services and the survival of the public healthcare system, which will no longer be bound by clientelism and unionist commitments. Naturally, this inevitable development will cause reactions, since it affects the interests and practices that have dominated for years.
Unfortunately the necessary dialog for such an important reform was subverted from the start. Either because the Ministry of Health did not have a full plan, or the usual for Greece unionist and political conflicts prevailed.
It is necessary for mature thinking to prevail and everyone must realize that healthcare should not the battleground for constant conflict, in order to avoid witnessing a similar situation like in education. The doctors must become more flexible, before they provoke the public, while the Ministry of Health is obliged to seek out the lowest common denominator to implement the changes. The Greek people have suffered enough from the crisis; they do not deserve the additional burden to protect an essential commodity, such as healthcare.
TO VIMA
