“Citizens accept his reform Personal Doctor” said the Minister of Health. Thanos Pleurisspeaking in Parliament.

In just 45 days, 4,000,000 citizens were registered in the system, Mr. Plyuris told the Parliamentary Social Affairs Committee, while, according to him, the goal set by the institutions was that by December 31 of this year, 4,000,000 citizens. year.

The Minister of Health did not deny that “there are points where a citizen suffers”, but noted that “there are doctors and will enter the system” and at least today the quantitative goal has been achieved.

The Social Affairs Committee of the Parliament today began discussing the draft law “Establishment and organization of a legal entity of public law called the Association of Radiological Technologists – Radiation Therapy of Greece” (ETAAE), measures to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and protect public health and other provisions” . However, most of the discussion was devoted to the health situation and the problem of the personal doctor.

Mr. Plyuris, in the context of his reply, mentioned the reform undertaken within the framework of SYRIZA and the results of the establishment of a family doctor.

“SYRIZA passed the Family Doctor Law in 2018. From 2018 until the end of the SYRIZA mandate, less than 1.5 million citizens and about 700 doctors were registered,” the Minister of Health noted, noting that “the SYRIZA reform for family doctors has failed miserably.”

Because the opposition parties did not consider that the system would fail because it could not work with 2,000 people served per doctor, the minister stressed that Mr. Xanthou’s legal liability number is 2,250 people per doctor. “Up to 2,250 people were assigned to each doctor. If 2,000 people today is a lot, is the 2,250 predicted by Mr. Xanto’s family doctor a good thing? They don’t know anything about Mr. Xanto’s failed reform, Mr. Plyuris said.

Regarding the situation today, the Minister of Health said that:

• All ministerial decisions needed for a personal physician were made by the end of June.
• All public doctors were included in the system, since it was assumed that doctors working in polyclinics would register the population and receive 10,000 euros more per year. At the first stage, the system was open to general practitioners, family doctors and pathologists. There were 4,000 people available, and in the first month of the institution’s operation, 1,200 people were admitted in the first month of the institution’s operation (including during SYRIZA, 700 doctors were admitted in four years).
• 30% logged in in August.
• During the first 45 days of the institution’s operation, 4,000,000 citizens signed up.
• As “naturally there are some glitches”, the system will be piloted to fully implement it from 01/01/2023. The problems are mainly concentrated in Attica, which “needs more doctors, although those who were registered in the system during SYRIZA throughout Greece are so numerous today only in Attica.”
• In the region, coverage is more than 70% and today there are 650,000 vacancies in the region.
• In the second phase of the establishment, and since the reform provided for the inclusion of private doctors, specialties based on pathology are included.
• In the next ten days, contracts will be signed with EOPYY, other doctors will enter the system and the institution will work “dynamically”.
• Once the adult population is reached, the next step in the system is pediatricians. The goal is to have the adult population registered in the system by 12/31/2022, with more medical specialties and individuals included in the system.
• Indeed, more doctors are needed, but in 45 days 3,300 people entered the system.
• For those who log in, a program of free examinations is issued so that at the first appointment that the persons served will have with their personal doctor, they also have their examinations so that their medical record can be generated.
• The current government “pressed” on the 2018 resolutions, such as the provision that those citizens who are not insured will join the doctors of polyclinics, personal, and only if there are none, then private ones. This is “a repeat of Mr. Xanthou’s 2018 ruling, with the change that this ruling refers to a family doctor, and today the ruling refers to a personal physician.”
• “The institute of a personal doctor, the institute will be strengthened. Until 12/31/2022, we will have the coverage we want from doctors. From October, electronic records will begin so that citizens can come and fill out their case,” Mr. Plyuris said.

The Minister of Health responded to criticism of doctors’ salaries by also mentioning the Hagia Sophia Children’s Hospital and today’s visit by SYRIZA President Alexis Tsipras.

“In 2015-2019, doctors were given zero money. We give polyclinic doctors through the Personal Physician 10,000 euros, and doctors from the National Health Service an average of 10%, this is combined with the abolition of the solidarity fee of 3,000 to 4,000 euros. euro per year. Of course we wanted them to get more. But today we are criticized by those who did not give a cent,” Mr. Plyuris said.

“In the Children’s Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the problem has existed since 2018. The problem is exacerbated by both the pandemic and the shortage of anesthesiologists. We are making efforts to solve the problem,” the minister stressed and informed the social affairs commission that vacancy announcements are being placed on a priority basis, anesthesiologists are also moving from other places and better planning of operations is underway.

However, as Mr. Pluris pointed out, commenting on today’s headlines of 3,000 pending operations, there were 2,853 pending operations in Pedona in 2019. “Yes, we have not reduced this figure. It has not increased, we have not reduced it. We could highlight the issue of the pandemic and the burden of closed operations. Today, Mr. Xanthos is going with Mr. Tsipras to the hospital where there are 2853 waiting lists for operations, to criticize what?”, the minister emphasized and gave data on the expectations of operations from 2019 to the present, namely 2853 waitings in 2019 , 2438 in 2020 2795 waiting in 2021, 2925 waiting in 2022. “The problem needs to be solved because the children need to be operated on in a short time. But you who are going there today are ignoring the situation when Mr. Tsipras was prime minister minister,” said Mr. Plyuris.

^{Source: RES-IPE}