National Health System (ESY): Changes in evening surgeries, salaries, and on-call duties

The political leadership of the Ministry of Health presented the current state of the National Health System (ESY) in a press conference, countering claims from the opposition and health sector unions that “ESY is collapsing.”

“I believe there is an effort by leftist unions to create the impression that the Mitsotakis government does not care about ESY and has abandoned it,” said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. He noted that approximately 80,000 people are served daily by the health system, which includes over 100 hospitals, 300 health centers, and an extensive network of services. “Is it possible that there are never any failures? We are here to address and reduce failures. It is absurd to accuse us of having a hidden plan to dismantle ESY,” he said, adding: “All this propaganda is completely false. We have tremendous care for ESY. ESY never leaves anyone alone and unsupported.”

Funding and Staffing Updates

According to detailed data presented by Deputy Health Minister Marios Themistocleous, contacts with the health system are 2.5 times the population of our country, amounting to 25 million citizen interactions annually.

Mr. Themistocleous highlighted that the health system has never been reinforced as much as in the past four years under Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s government. Specifically, in 2019, there were 78,272 staff in ESY, while now there are 86,138. “Evangelismos has 165 more doctors, and Hippocrates in Thessaloniki has 190 more doctors,” Mr. Themistocleous noted.

Additionally, around 12,500 positions have been advertised, with approximately 1,200 proving unsuccessful. Therefore, the Ministry of Health is implementing specific incentives to enhance problematic specialties and regions.

Doctors’ Income Support Measures

During the press conference, detailed information was presented about the doctors’ monthly earnings, which have increased and are expected to rise further following the latest measures (economic incentives for underserved areas and separate taxation of on-call duties).

Income support for doctors began in December 2022 with an average increase of 10%. In January 2024, the base salary of ESY doctors was increased by €70, and in February, a 20% increase in on-call duties was established. The separate taxation of on-call duties at a rate of 22%, announced by the Prime Minister at the Thessaloniki International Fair, will boost the monthly amount for on-call duties by €100-200.

Under these changes, and after incorporating new allowances for underserved areas (up to €600 per month for specific specialties), doctors’ salaries will be as follows: A Consultant B in 2019 had a net monthly income of €1,938, while in 2025, it will be €2,975. Similarly, the net monthly income for a Consultant A in 2019 was €2,039, and in 2025 it will be €2,483.

Funding for Free Evening Surgeries

Regarding the 37,500 free evening surgeries, the Health Minister announced that the government has received the “green light” from the Recovery Fund’s technical teams for funding of approximately €60 million. He responded to claims that the initiative for free evening surgeries was announced many months ago. He admitted that the timing of the European elections affected the approval process for the funding.

Among other things, the Ministry of Health leadership stated that the method of funding public hospitals is changing. Specifically, from 2025, the DRG system will be applied everywhere, meaning hospitals will receive funding based on the work they produce. According to the Deputy Health Minister, hospitals were funded with an additional €480 million between 2023-2024, and the overall health sector received an additional €980 million. Changes to Emergency Departments and on-call systems in Athens hospitals were also announced for better case distribution. According to Mr. Georgiadis, the Ministry of Health will soon be ready to present a new on-call plan.

Primary Health Care Bill Ready

By the end of the week, the Primary Health Care (PHC) bill is expected to be put out for public consultation, as announced by the Ministry of Health leadership. Deputy Health Minister Irini Agapidaki briefly summarized the key points of the new regulation, which she had previously presented a few months ago: New general practitioners will receive a strong financial incentive of €30,000 per year. Additionally, personal doctors will be added at the municipal level for registering the entire Greek population with a personal doctor, and seven university health centers will be established.

Ms. Agapidaki acknowledged that a major problem is the “leak” of doctors and other staff to other countries, a phenomenon that intensified during the pandemic. “The new ESY needs new materials; one cannot have the materials from 30 years ago,” she said, noting that among other things, 3,500 home care points will be created across the country, and for the first time, the number of pediatricians in ESY will increase to cover more than 500,000 children, or one-third of the country’s child population.

Regarding free screening programs, Ms. Agapidaki announced that the second phase of the cervical cancer program (for women aged 30-65) will start in the coming days, and by the end of the month, the colorectal cancer program will be implemented.

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