On Wednesday, by a majority of votes, a decision was made on the Plenipotentiary and on the whole bill of the Ministry of Health “On the establishment of a legal entity of private law with the name “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – ELPIDA Children’s Cancer Center”, modernization of legislation on organ donation and transplantation, measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic COVID-19 and public health protection and other urgent measures.”

The ND voted “yes” for the Governance bill and as a whole. SYRIZA-PS abstained while PASOK-KINAL, KKE, Hellenic Solution and MERA 25 voted against

The amendment of the Ministry of Health with provisions on the application of a zero VAT rate to vaccines against covid-19 was adopted by a majority. For the liquidation process, a power of attorney and payment of expenses for the purchase of antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies against covid-19. Addition of provisions to paragraph 4 of Article 25 of Law 4549/2018. to implement an automatic return mechanism. Regulations on the system for calculating the cost of hospital services. Regulations on the development, processing and updating of the register of patients with tumor diseases and the completion of the necessary preparation for the work of the National Institute of Neoplasms. Amendment to paragraph 1 of article 22 of Law 5015/2013 regarding the transfer of doctors in the NHS sector for continuation or transfer. For employment in the private sector of medicine doctors G.N. A game. Addendum to article 11 paragraph 1A of Law 2889/2021 on the employment of NHS doctors at the Onassios Cardiac Surgery Center. Replacing article 105 of Law 4692/2020 on cooperation between university laboratories and NHS hospitals, and on the work of universities with hospitals administered by the Ministry of Education and NHS hospitals. Amending Articles 27 and 18 of Law 3984/2021 on Transplant Coordinators.

The ND supported the ministerial amendment. SYRIZA abstained from voting. PASOK-KINAL voted yes, while KKE, Hellenic Solution and MeRA25 voted no.

Two parliamentary amendments were made to the bill, but they were not passed by Health Minister Thanos Pleuris and were not put to a vote. The first was presented by PASOK-KINAL deputies and concerned the “Suspension of the 3% collection in favor of NIMTS MTA dividends and its redirection to the MTA”. Secondly, by the members of the KKE about the “Recognition and protection of the rights of artists.”

Minister of Health Thanos Plyuris, while supporting the bill in plenary session, noticed a contradiction in the criticism of the opposition, stating that “on the one hand, you do not agree with the legal nature of the new Children’s Cancer Center as a private law entity, and on the other hand, why do we We are not giving the National Transplant Organization more freedom and flexibility.” He pointed out that “the state also operates through anonymous companies.” He remarked that “before the ELPIDA foundation, we had scattered clinics, mostly part of the national health system.”

The minister emphasized that what is being done now is that through the ELPIDA Foundation, an oncology department is being created in relations with two children’s hospitals, giving it relative autonomy, with its own administration, so that it can automatically connect and develop. The working relationship of the existing staff does not change, or that the citizen will pay.” In fact, Mr. Pluris said, “I will not tolerate you seducing parents who have children and suddenly telling them that you will be paying from next month.” All services “will be provided free of charge, therefore the same state budget that exists” is chosen, as is the case today at Papageorgiou Hospital in Thessaloniki.

The minister specified that the NPID form “facilitates the connection of the Cancer Center with foreign centers and doctors who do not want to be in the NHS, but come to receive payment and receive services for cancer patients. It is possible to raise funds through clinical trials, hence free services for affected children. EOPYY will pay for hospitalization, as is done today in public hospitals. If necessary, emergency grants will be provided only to support all types of treatment. We clearly guarantee that we will have more benefits, we will have free benefits, we will have greater administrative and financial independence.”

Responding to criticism from the opposition for not supporting NHS doctors, Mr Pluris said, “This government is adding 10% to NHS doctors. She did, she gave. This government is giving 400 euros to those in intensive care units and resuscitators and 250 euros to NHS doctors. This government increased the allowance for nurses to 200 euros. He included general practitioners and pathologists of the Health Centers in the personal doctor, just as you included them in the family doctor, he gives an additional 800 euros per month. This government and the prime minister provided 1.5 billion euros from the Recovery Fund, which corresponds to 9% of 17 billion.”

With regard to the provisions of the EOM bill, the interventions that are being taken, said the Minister of Health, deal with “important bioethical issues where cardiac death has been established for the first time. The donor registry is being updated, we are interfering with informed consent, following a model that is exactly in line with Greek society.” Mr. Plyuris promised that “the 1.5-2 million that the Commission deemed necessary for the EOM would be provided. With regard to the issue of coordinators, the proposed amendment provides flexibility in the recruitment of coordinators, and only under the supervision of ASEP.

With regard to other provisions of the bill regarding the treatment of covid, the minister said that the extension regarding the presentation of a certificate or the conduct of a test will now only apply to specific structures that the Commission has indicated to us. The rest of the frame may be from the last update.

Referring to the lack of medicines, Mr. Plyuris said that “we continue to strengthen the budget. In the part of the return of cheap medicines, we choose 0.20, that is, about 5-6 euros for a monthly treatment, where the logic is that these medicines should have less surcharges – at the moment they have about 25% surcharges, so we we put a ceiling of 10% on other more expensive medicines – in order not to recall them precisely because of the increase that occurred due to the energy crisis. And this is the model that we have been following since the summer in our hospitals, and because of this, our hospitals have had no problems with these cheap medicines.”

Deputy Minister of Health Asimina Gaga, for her part, emphasized that “the goal of the Ministry of Health and the government is to improve services for all. A more modern, more flexible state. What you say about full and exclusive employment is completely wrong. Doctors need to be stimulated, as they are all over the world, otherwise they will get up and leave for strong countries with large GDP. We are moving forward by talking to everyone, patient associations, doctors, medical staff, and we are introducing bills that we think you should all support because this is the future of our country.”

He pointed out that hospitals in Europe operate like NHRIs. And the model of the Papageorgiou hospital in Thessaloniki showed its success. He pointed out that the form of PPP with the Onassis Foundation resulted in transplants between 4% and 6% per 100,000 population. He stressed that this bill brings new features to transplantation. Local coordinators are legally established, which is very important. The EOM is given more autonomy. Two million euros have been allocated for the EOM from the state budget. 30 positions have been created, of which 15 are new positions of coordinators. We are interested in informing the public about transplantation, so we are also working in schools.”

Regarding NHS medical staffing, Ms Gaga said that “we are trying to find incentives for both doctors and nurses”, noting that all secondary health systems have lost medical staff due to the pandemic and the current intensification of work.

Regarding the criticism that the government appointed “independents” in hospital administration, he recalled that the SYRIZA government “fired all hospital administrators because they were not ‘independent’!”

Source: RES-IPE