Despite previously threateninghospital employees and claiming that no doctors or other hospital staff would face dismissal, the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis has spectacularly announced that dismissals “might be a possibility, after staff review is complete”.
The staff review process can last up to four weeks, at which point the Ministry of Health will have a better view of the situation at hospitals, before proceeding with reforms and changes to employee relations.
On Monday night Mr. Georgiadis was invited on Mega Channel’s late-night talk show with Yannis Pretenderis, where he announced that all “excessive doctors” will be fired. The Health Minister used plastic surgeons as an example, claiming that there was no need for more than 20, compared to the 200 currently employed.
As expected these comments caused intense reactions, with the president of the nationwide medical association (PIS) Michalis Vlastarakos accusing the Minister of being untrustworthy and deceitful. Mr. Vlastarakos argued that the Minister of Health only cares about meeting the targets imposed by the troika.
