President Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday ordered the immediate recruitment of 28 doctors to cover the most urgent needs in the state health sector, which has been plagued with problems due to a lack of staff.
The announcement was made by the government spokesman following a meeting at the presidential palace with all stakeholders, as the president took it upon himself to resolve the problems in the sector.
“The needs concern the recruitment of 28 doctors with specific specialties, in specific clinics, in all hospitals,” Nicos Christodoulides said.
Instructions have been given to kick start hiring positions immediately, he added.
Tuesday’s meeting was attended by doctors’ and nurses’ unions, and for the first time, patient association representatives.
Christodoulides said the cabinet will meet on Wednesday at 8.30am to discuss matters and take decisions.
On Monday, Anastasiades had asked the health ministry to prepare a detailed list of the real needs in the sector.
The spokesman said it was the first time such a list was drafted “recording the real needs in medical staff.”
The immediate need was for 28 doctors of various specialties.
“The decisions – more details will be given tomorrow (Wednesday) – have two objectives: first, to immediately tackle the problems in hospitals, as well as plans to comprehensively resolve all the difficulties faced in hospitals,” the spokesman said.
Christodoulides said views were exchanged about the NHS but it was not the main issue on Tuesday.
“An effort is in progress and only through reform and (hospital) autonomy can the problems be resolved comprehensively,” he added. “The aim is the implementation of the NHS.”
Anastasiades was also planning to meet the leaders of political parties after a final plan is drafted based on his meetings with stakeholders.
The chairman of the union of state doctors PASYKI said the aim of the meeting was to find immediate solutions for the lack of staff.
Soteris Koumas said the president was also planning to appoint an expert who will survey the public hospitals and prepare a report concerning all the needs in human resources.
Koumas stressed the need for implementation of the NHS.
“All of us will have a health problem if the NHS is not implemented,” he said.
On Friday, it was reported that the only doctor at the Paphos gynaecology department had collapsed the previous day from overwork and the health ministry had to revoke the sick leave of the second doctor from the clinic so he could return to his duties.
The collapsed doctor, it was reported, was pulling 24-hour shifts to cope with the workload, as the second gynaecologist was on sick leave.
The problem goes back eight months even though the hospital’s management has sent many letters to the health ministry asking for extra physicians, PASYKI said.
The head of the state medical service Petros Matsas acknowledged there was a grave problem, but said that they could not find any physicians interested in taking up the empty posts due to the working hours and wages.
