The situation in Heraklion University General Hospital (PAGNI), with doctors and staff accusing the hospital administrator of overbearing and degrading behavior. The recent decision of Commander Georgios Chalkiadakis to send a specialist doctor and a home visitor to three COVID-19 anesthesiologists who performed a rapid test on the anesthesiologists angered the hospital staff and provoked a reaction from the University of Crete Medical School, the Heraklion Medical Association and the Panhellenic Medical Association. as well as members of parliament. This decision coincided with the sudden change of the director of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Adding fuel to the fire was yesterday’s extension of Mr. Halkiadakis’ term “until the administrator’s selection and appointment process is completed”, as stated in the relevant bulletin, and prompted all anesthesiologists in the hospital to submit a letter of intent to resign to the Director of the Department of Anesthesia Clinic, Associate Professor Alexandra Papaioann and one of the victims of the actions of the commander, with notification also to the director of the PAGNI Medical Service, Professor Nikos Tsanakis.

“I am personally disappointed. I expect the Ministry of Health to be sensitive to this issue,” Alexandros Patrianakos notes in “K”., President of the Heraklion Medical Association and PAGNI doctor since 2001. He speaks of “an administration that intimidates and devalues ​​the staff”, focusing on the incident with the three anesthesiologists. “This expresses a practice that, if it “passes away”, will concern not only us, but also public administration as a whole,” says Mr. Patrianakos and emphasizes that “a very difficult situation has created in the hospital. The entire medical world is against the commander.”

The extension of the governor’s term is like the straw that broke the camel’s back at Heraklion University General Hospital.

The University of Crete School of Medicine also took a clear stand against Mr. Halkiadakis, who called an extraordinary meeting last Monday. “On the issue of anesthesiologists, we do not enter into the legality or illegality of the commander’s actions, although there are objections, but we focus on the issue of the dignity of the doctor,” points to “K” Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Crete, Professor of Cardiology George Kochiadakis. As noted in the relevant protocol, the PAGNI commander acted “without respect for the highest academic value of freedom” and, as it were, considering specific anesthesiologists to be fugitives, lazybones and liars. It is worth noting that Mr. Chalkiadakis, in his statement, claims that he decided to transfer the working doctor and health visitor to the doctors’ house “for treatment and taking measures to control and protect other medical personnel”, while he notes that due to the lack of anesthesiologists, the operation of two operating and six elective operations was postponed.

The medical school also acknowledges the motion of Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine G. Notas, who abruptly replaced the governor on December 30, to reverse the decision. Mr. Notas has already filed an out-of-court protest, and he intends to file a motion to set aside the decision on the grounds that his replacement was not preceded by a presentation from the director of the hospital’s Medical Services. In connection with this incident, the meeting of the Faculty of Medicine strongly protests the fact that the governor has not taken the necessary actions to establish and install the University Clinic of Emergency Medicine at PAGNI since June 2020, “ignoring the positive points. on the request of the faculty for the recommendations of the director of the medical service and the academic council of the hospital.

The PAGNI workers’ union has announced a suspension of work and protest rallies starting next Tuesday, and it is also planning 24-hour demonstrations next week. “Most of the workers gave their all to public health during the years of memos and COVID-19. Under these conditions, with low wages and thousands of days off and vacation arrears, from the point of view of management, we cannot have intimidating, unethical and authoritarian treatment,” notes on “K” president of the POEDIN General Council and vice president of the union, Kyriakos Theodosakis. The announcement of the trade union is indicative. As it was said, “we have encountered many times the inappropriate behavior of this administration. From his prohibitions against making statements to the media, his dismissive and threatening behavior towards any protesting employee, constant relocation orders and revocations of licenses. Added to this is the random selection and selection of managers during the previous period, as well as department heads such as the director of TEP.”