With strict sanitary measures, they will return from 01/01/2023. unvaccinated healthcare workers. Minister of Health Thanos Pleuris informed the national delegation that no legislative regulation was required for their return, as the injunction would not be extended. Today, the expert commission has recommended to the ministry the ways of their return.

In particular, the committee recommends that “unvaccinated medical workers return with two rapid tests, wearing a high-protection mask, to ensure that the test is done, to have a record, to monitor compliance with the measures by the Administration, the most obvious failure to comply with the will constitutes a disciplinary offense. For unvaccinated doctors and unvaccinated nurses, it is recommended not to be in the intensive care unit and in places where there are immunocompromised patients, such as oncology wards.

When asked by the deputies what will happen to their salaries during their dismissal, the Minister of Health clarified: “There is no question of salaries. They come back and start getting paid.”

The Council of Europe considered the measure constitutional, but did not consider its latest extension, Thanos Plyuris also said.

As he also pointed out, the bill provides that “the fine is removed for those who are over 60, who were not vaccinated, and after the fine was vaccinated.”

“Indeed, this is a harsh measure. There is no minister who wants to impose fines, but this is how vaccination went from 55% to 80%. At the time the fine was introduced, 250,000 citizens at this age were vaccinated. “Well, the fine worked,” the minister said. healthcare.

“Free Palliative Care”

“In our country, with a great delay, an organized system for the provision of palliative care services is being created, which concerns 135,000 people. If you think about their families, you can understand that this initiative has a strong social impact,” Thanos Plyuris said during the discussion that is developing at the plenary session of Parliament regarding the bill on an integrated palliative care system.

The bill, the minister said, defines the conditions for public and private sector entities that can provide these services, which services will be free, either in government entities or in the context of contracts with EOPYY. According to Mr. Plyuris, in line with the standard that exists in other services provided to vulnerable populations, there will be no co-payments and the hospital will be fully covered by EOPYY.

According to Mr. Plyuris, the goal is an integrated system of health insurance and medical care, since palliative care cannot be absent.

But when will this overarching structure exist? In the first phase, as the Minister of Health explained, there are palliative care structures that can be adapted and at the same time others can be developed, so that “quickly we will have an integrated palliative care network”.

Referring to other provisions of the bill, Mr. Plyuris indicated that the contracts of all support staff who entered the system due to covid are being extended. “There is no other process for these people to remain permanent in the healthcare system other than the process of contract renewals and announcements that increase points for their experience. There is no procedure for automatically changing contracts from fixed-term to perpetual,” said Mr. Plyuris. In addition, those who joined the NHS at the worst possible time and would not remain in their positions due to the return of unvaccinated medical workers are also being given, he said, the opportunity to become adjuncts, initially with a semester extension.

The minister said the new transplant framework and mental health action plan would be presented to parliament shortly.