Despite appearing to come to an arrangement with the Ministry of Health yesterday, the doctors registered with EOPYY held a general assembly today and decided to extend their strike until the 19th of December.
The president of the EOPYY doctor federation Athanasios Apostolopoulos explained yesterday that while “the Minister of Health has made a first step”, the strike would end only after the government detailed its plans and provided tangible assurances.
The Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis responded that «unless the strike ends today, the suspensions will come into effect» and that he will not hold any discuss with strikers. Mr. Georgiadis also revealed that the Government Council of Administrative Reform, which convened on Thursday morning, has already approved his plans.
According to the Ministry’s plans, EOPYY will turn into a “buyer” of medical services from the public and private sector, with all of its healthcare units to be transferred to regional healthcare services. About 8,500 EOPYY employees will be suspended, as well as 1,200 doctors from the hospitals.
Furthermore, all of EOPYY’s healthcare provision services and structures will be transferred over to the national healthcare system ESY.. EOPYY will retain its pharmacies and any doctors wishing to continue working within the system, must shut down their private clinics and sign exclusive contracts.
Employees «occupy» Psychiatric Hospital in Thessaloniki
Meanwhile the employees of the Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki symbolically shut off the entrance to the hospital at 6.30am today, in protest of the suspension measure which affects 61 of their colleagues. The hospital’s operation has not been affected and the gate will remain shut all day, while the employees will decide upon any future strike action at a general assembly.
The psychiatric hospital’s employee union president Theodoros Konstantinidis explained that the government’s suspension plans will have an adverse effect on the hospital’s services and expressed his dismay at the Health Ministry’s policies which will lead to the closure of psychiatric wards and the deterioration of the public healthcare system.
