The bill “Integrated Palliative Care System – Measures to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic and Protect Public Health and Other Provisions” was submitted to Parliament last night.

According to the Ministry of Health, the bill “Comprehensive Palliative Care System – Measures to Combat the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic and Protect Public Health and Other Provisions” creates the National Register of Palliative Care Patients to ensure the quality of life of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases by preventing and alleviate pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems.

“The goal of the bill is to create an integrated system for the provision of palliative care, which, in combination with other existing structures of the National Health System, will focus on and serve the specialized needs of patients and their families,” the Ministry of Health emphasizes. .

In more detail, the bill includes:

1. Creation and organization of a system for the provision of palliative care services,

2. Determining the structures for the provision of palliative care and the minimum criteria for the quality of their work, as well as determining the procedure and amount of their compensation for the services they provide.

3. Ensuring the formation of an interdisciplinary team of health workers for the provision of specialized palliative care, as well as the possibility of training all health workers providing palliative care services.

4. Ensuring the establishment of a national register of palliative care patients and

5. Establishment and division of responsibilities of the National Committee for the Development of Palliative Care as an interdisciplinary advisory body that will assist the Central Council of Health (CHC) and the Ministry of Health in the formation of a central national policy for the development of palliative care. Palliative care.

Also in the provisions of the bill, the contracts of auxiliary medical personnel are extended for one year, and fixed-term contracts are also extended.

At the same time, Health Minister Thanos Pluris said that the contracts of all those hired to fill the gaps are being extended, regardless of the return of suspended employees to their duties.

Regarding influenza vaccination in the period 2022-2023. provided that the flu vaccine is reimbursed by EOPYY and other insurance funds without the need for a doctor’s prescription.

Source: RES-IPE