The Panhellenic Medical Association in a letter to the Parliament, expresses his disagreement with the psychiatric reform article to be voted on.
Specifically warns how the passing of the article “Strengthening of public health structures by private providers and private doctors to address needs that may endanger public health – Authorizing provision – Amendment of article 56 and replacement of par. 11 of article 71 of Law 4931/2022” (ss article 65 of the psychiatric reform bill), “will be a permanent disincentive for the establishment of doctors of numerically deficient specialties in islands and areas with a demographic problem”.
This particular article states that “private doctors employed in any employment relationship in Health Units that are contracted to the National Organization for the Provision of Health Services (EOPYY) or themselves contracted with EOPYY, undertake through the above contracts the obligation to offer health services to address needs that may endanger public health, if requested and only for the absolutely necessary time. The provision of these services is done on a part-time basis, since the announcements to fill the positions have been fruitless, the expressions of interest of private doctors to fill the vacant positions have been fruitless”.
It also stipulates that “if private providers or private doctors contracted with EOPYY refuse to provide services, their contract with EOPYY is terminated. In addition, private doctors who refuse to provide services pursuant to the above paragraphs, whether they are contracted with EOPYY or not, are denied access to the Electronic Prescription System (ESIS) of the anonymous company with the name “Electronic Social Security Administration” ( IDIKA SA)”.
Below is the letter from the Panhellenic Medical Association.
“To the Parliament of the Hellenic Republic
Honorable and Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen Members of Parliament
The enactment of article 65 of the bill on mental health, in addition to the serious legislative flaws, as the Legal Service of the Parliament points out, will forever harm and poison the relations of the entire medical world of the country with the Greek State. It will be a permanent disincentive for the establishment of doctors of numerically deficient specialties in islands and areas with a demographic problem, as well as a disincentive to choose these specialties by new colleagues. They will be added to the disincentives of the contract with EOPYY and the institution of the personal physician.
And their activation will result in the absolute inadequacy of health services in the said areas for the specific specialties. The medical world of the country has proven its consistency in its mission, solving the problem that emerged in communication for an incomprehensible reason since July 4, despite the threats, ironies, challenges and inconsistency of the Ministry of Health. It was preceded in full by the responsible exercise of our duties as advisor to the State, both of the Panhellenic Medical Association as well as the local medical associations, by highlighting the problem in time (2022, 2023, January 2024) and submitting actionable suggestions that were ignored. After all, approximately the same problem was solved last year quietly and effectively through our cooperation initially with the then acting Minister of Health and then with her “inexperienced in health matters”, but effective, successor. In any case, today these provisions, apart from being harmful, are also unnecessary.
The declaration of non-issue of relevant ministerial provisions raises the reasonable question of the purpose of the law. Not only does it not reassure us, but it also deprives us of the possibility of recourse to the Greek Justice and European institutions and organizations. In medical terms, it will cause a condition similar to chronic osteomyelitis, that is, a condition with remissions and exacerbations, daily discomforts, dirty wounds, multiple surgical and therapeutic interventions that sometimes ends in amputation. And indeed it will be caused in the health sector which faces the development of chronic intractable problems with explosive dimensions. Problems which it is clear from the facts that the State, without the active participation of the medical world through its institutions, is unable to resolve. Ultimately, it is a shame to solve the corresponding problem of lack of pathologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, laboratory doctors of our European partners at the expense of our country.
The Panhellenic Medical Association and all the Medical Associations of the country appeal to avoid this critical mistake. After all, the prestige of doctors and the State is judged by solving and not by complicating problems.”
Objection of contra-signature rejected
Dismissed the appeal of unconstitutionality which had been submitted by SYRIZA and PASOK against the article of the Ministry of Health “Strengthening of public health structures by private providers and private doctors to address needs that may endanger public health – Authorizing provision – Amendment of article 56 and replacement of par. 11 of article 71 of Law 4931/2022”. The article in question (section 65) has been included in the “completion of psychiatric reform” bill. The objection was voted against by the parliamentarians of the coalition.
«You of SYRIZA, PASOK, New Left, Plefsis Eleftherias, KKE, say that if there is no other solution, and if the proclamations have come out barren, private doctors should not go to support the system. We of New Democracy vote if all conditions have been exhausted and no other solution has been found, then in this case, as the Constitution stipulates, the private work of exercising free work recedes, for a limited time, and under specific conditions, to the higher good of universal access to public health, for each of our fellow citizens,” said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and added: “We here in New Democracy, as a genuine popular faction of this place, are the only faction that defends even the last poor fellow citizenagainst all you hypocrites of the left who finally come here today and defend private interests!”.
The article is constitutional, it refers to extraordinary circumstances, it will be valid for a limited time, it respects the principle of proportionality, said the Minister of Health and emphasized: “But we are not constitutionalists here. We are MPs. And me in my political journey, Mr. Nikitiadis (pasok member of parliament), since I am talking about Kos, let the world know that Mr. Nikitiadis, for example, leaves the residents of Kos without a doctor! This is what he prefers with today’s vote! Nikitiadis, the resident of the island of Kos, prefers not to find a doctor than not to oppose Georgiadis! He is such a great politician”!
Earlier, PASOK’s parliamentary representative Dimitris Manzos, developing his party’s objection of unconstitutionality, said that the article introduced by the government impinges on the freedom of contracts (Article 5 of the Constitution) and it is inconsistent with the right of patients to choose their doctor, in the context of the protection of autonomy and the protection of human dignity (Article 2 of the Constitution) and the functioning of the Social Security system (Article 22 of the Constitution). He also said that depriving doctors of the e-prescribing system does not so much affect the doctors, but it affects the patients for whom this system exists.
SYRIZA’s parliamentary representative, Theofilos Xanthopoulos, said that the understaffing of the National Security Service, which is a permanent issue, is an alibi for the government to introduce an additional obstacle. He also said that the sanction for banning the access of private doctors to the electronic prescription system has an essential recipient, the citizen who will not be able to receive this service.
ND parliamentary representative Thanos Pleuris accused the opposition of hypocrisy. “During the pandemic, your proposal was a demand for private doctors, without being paid. You told the government that it is giving a gift to the clinics and private doctors that it gives them a demand and you asked for a demand and without payment. And today you come to call unconstitutional a measure that the State withdraws from the right to demand and in absolutely extraordinary circumstances, comes with a very specific context to call on them to support the system”, said Thanos Pleuris.
Its president Freedom of Navigation Zoi Konstantopoulou accused the government of trying today to hide its own responsibilities for the situation in the NHS. “Citizens who live their daily lives in hospitals, as patients, as relatives of patients, nurses, doctors, the auxiliary and other staff, know very well that for the abandonment of public health, you are not to blame for some private doctors, that you want to command them”, said the president of Freedom of Navigation and added that the right to command does not concern the general discretion of the state for forced labor. The requisition is acted upon when it comes to theomen and emergency situations, Ms. Konstantopoulou said.
Nikos Vrettos, the parliamentary representative of “Victory”, said that the government continues to restrict constitutional rights of the citizens and that the objections of unconstitutionality are both well-founded and substantial.
THE New Left parliamentary representative Nasos Iliopoulos said the government is making an abusive interpretation of the right of subpoena. “Here we are talking about permanent and lasting needs. You know that they are permanent and lasting needs and you christen them “emergency risks to public health”. What is traditionally a danger to public health, are the policies of the New Democracy,” said Mr. Iliopoulos.
The parliamentary representative of the Hellenic Solution, Konstantinos Boubas, said that clearly the government aims to privatize health.
His parliamentary representative KKE Thanasis Pafilis, denounced the strategy of privatization that was served by all the parties that governed. “It’s EU policy and that’s why you don’t talk,” said the parliamentary representative of the KKE.
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