07/08/2023
Crete - healthcare
A foreword from us:
For those of you that live here or have used the public medical system in Crete (as we have ourselves), it is beyond being under serious pressure. The Greek Govermennt wants all the 'hospitals' on the island to be transformed into health centres and the primary hospital on the island to be PAGNI, Heraklion University Hospital.
Doctors and staff at the hospital are being forced to take up positions that are not qualified for nor have any experience in. You really don't want to get sick here in Crete if you can help it because of the pressure on the health system, the workers, nurses and doctors are EXHAUSTED and quitting at an alarming rate.
See the attached article for further reference.
"The health sector in Crete is a "boiling cauldron" - dangerous conditions are described by doctors and workers
The exhausting shifts and the "mandates" for the movement of doctors from Venizelio Hospital (in Heraklion) to Rethymno (Hospital) brought resignations, threats of extrajudicial proceedings and a complaint to the prosecutor, while clinics in the island's hospitals are headed for "lockdown"
The presidents of the Medical Associations of Crete are asking for solutions here and now regarding the situation that prevails in the hospital of Crete. At the same time, the Association of Doctors of the National Health Service of Rethymnon addressed a written complaint to the head of the Primary Prosecutor's Office, requesting his immediate intervention regarding the operational problems of the Pathology Clinic of the Rethymno Hospital, in order to stop putting people at risk due to the lack of pathologists, as a result of which it is necessary to move pathologists from other hospitals in Crete.
In fact, all this "going" to Rethymnon for Venizelei doctors (from Heraklion), after an exhausting period of on-call even during their normal leave period, led one more pathologist and one hematologist to resign.
In particular, the presidents of the island's Medical Associations describe the health situation in Crete as extraordinary in a joint letter.
Through the letter, they request that a joint meeting be convened with the administration of Crete, the administrators of the hospitals of the region of Crete, the presidents of the Medical Associations of the region of Crete and the elected representatives of the doctors in the hospitals of Crete, with simultaneous notification of the Ministry of Health. In fact, yesterday Friday two other doctors of the Venizelio Hospital of Heraklion submitted their resignations. This is a pathologist in the Department of Blood Donation and a hematologist, with the situation in the Hematology Clinic becoming even worse, since there are now three doctors left in this particular clinic.
As far as the Medical Associations of Crete are concerned, in their letter they specifically mention: "For the first time we are observing an irregular situation, concerning the operation of the hospitals of Crete:
- There are no pathologists at the Rethymno Hospital, as a result of which pathologists have to be transferred from other hospitals in Crete, thus creating a problem for the supplying hospitals, while at the same time there is poor treatment of patients due to the lack of medical continuity in their diagnosis and treatment.
- At the Venizelio Hospital of Heraklion, doctors are threatening extrajudicial proceedings because they believe that the already understaffed Venizelio Hospital is being weakened by the move.
- The resignations of medical surgeons were announced at the Chania Hospital, due to the excruciating hours on call.
- In the Hospitals of Agios Nikolaos and Ierapetra, the absence of doctors in key specialties has as a consequence the general dysfunction not only of specific departments, but also of the hospitals as a whole. Faced with this generalized dysfunction of the Health System in Crete and before further deterioration occurs with dramatic consequences, we invite all parties to a discussion to find solutions".
The letter is signed by the five presidents of the island's Medical Associations.
Complaint to the Primary Prosecutor's Office by the NHS doctors
At the same time, the administration of the Rethymnon ESY (PublicHealth System) Physicians Union is addressing the following complaint to the head of the First Instance Prosecutor's Office, communicating it to the commander of the 7th Department of Health, the commander of the National Health Service of Rethymno and the OENGE.
"The Pathology Clinic of our hospital has 6 organic positions. A colleague with the rank of director is currently serving. The colleague has been on leave for a few days to replenish his exhausted strength, given that he alone was in charge of the clinic where 30 patients are treated. Two more colleagues, one with the rank of director, is on maternity leave and one supervisor B is on maternity leave.
- Those responsible for the negative and health-threatening situation of the patients devised to fill the gaps with mobile doctors from the neighboring hospitals. You realise that this has nothing to do with the safe operation of the clinic, and this is because the commuter does not know the condition of the patients, because he is not a doctor of the clinic every day. His role is essentially that of a "sentry guard", so that, if something happens, he can raise the alarm, except that in our case there is no "army" to rush to save the patient from danger. There is no doctor in general supervision of the clinic and it operates even during working morning hours with a doctor on call, who is there for whatever comes up and not to deal with the investigation and follow-up of patients.
- In our opinion, we have a classic case of the offense of exposure to danger, but also a violation of the rules of operation of a clinic based on the law, and the perpetrators are the commander of the hospital and the commander of the 7th H.E. (Health Depeartment of Crete), who lives in Heraklion.
- The false statement that constitutes the movement of a doctor in order to simply have someone in the Pathology Clinic is the result of a conscious act by the commander of the 7th Department of Health, who, implementing a specific policy, indifferent to the risk to the health and lives of hospitalised patients, but also those who, not knowing the real situation, turn with confidence to the Rethymno Hospital.
- In addition, the specialists of the clinic do not have a supervisor and a coordinator (who must be a doctor appointed to the clinic).
- Our Union did what was necessary, i.e. it repeatedly raised the question of the report with the governor of the hospital and the H.E., it tolerated the volunteering of its member doctors to work non-stop and offer what they can and their fatigue allows from staying up all night and working long hours every day.
- The question that arises is: Will the Prosecutor's Office be indifferent to the situation? Will the Public Prosecutor's Office be activated when what will definitely happen, that is to say, the health of the hospitalised patients is irreparably damaged, until death occurs? Certainly, neither for the deterioration of health, nor for the death will the doctors be responsible. But, having the negative experience, we fear that the doctor will become a scapegoat, without of course the purification being accomplished.
- We await your actions, notifying that this text will be made public.""
Οι εξαντλητικές εφημερίες και τα “εντέλεσθαι” για μετακινήσεις γιατρών από το Βενιζέλειο στο Ρέθυμνο έφεραν παραιτήσεις, απειλές για εξώδικα και καταγγελία στον...