Afternoon surgeries – NONE / Failure of the measure – No order of priority is observed

Even though the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, puts on a show in hospitals “advertising” the afternoon surgeriesthe data presented by president of POEDIN Michalis Giannakos, confirm the failure of the government measure.

As Michalis Giannakos points out in a related announcement, quoting data from the “Papageorgiou” in Thessalonikiwhere most of Mario’s afternoon surgeries took place -as it was also the starting hospital- “no order of priority is respected” in the lists.

They took place in the hospital in question 29 afternoon surgeries in March, “13 of which concern patients outside the waiting list which has been updated to include patients until the end of the year 2023. The first assessment by a doctor that they need surgery in 12 of these patients who were operated on in the afternoon surgeries was made in the year 2024 in the hospital” says the president of POEDIN.

And he adds, among other things, that “a patient who was operated on in the afternoon surgeries it was never examined by surgeons of a corresponding specialty at the Papageorgiou hospital. The remaining 16 patients who were operated on in the afternoon surgeries and were on the surgery list of 9,000 patients, 6 were registered in the year 2023. They also operated on patients who were waiting from 2018 to 2022. That is, there are patients who have been waiting for six years to be operated on! Most of the 29 patients were from areas outside Thessaloniki. Mainly from Northern Greece. But there was a patient who was operated on from the Ionian Islands.”

«So how will evening surgeries help eliminate waiting lists? You do not follow any order of priority” emphasizes Michalis Giannakos and also points out “the patients refuse to pay and for that there is no order”, with him also asking the reasonable question “who will do this job of informing the patients on the list if they wish to pay for to be operated on?”

And he emphasizes that “that’s why they find anyone who shows interest, whether they are or are not registered on the list. If the Papageorgiou hospital had staff and opened the 4 closed operating theaters there would be no waiting list shortly. Such staffing will not solve the problem with the minimal and off-the-list most afternoon surgeries. If the recovery fund existed and patients were operated on for free, the priority could be respected. Now whatever. So it’s a shame to choose the wrong path by making the patients to they pay back public health. The state must and has an obligation to increase the salaries of health workers. Not the patients. They pay enough in taxes and contributions.”

The announcement of Michalis Giannakos in detail

Afternoon surgeries. Papageorgiou… The data show the failure of the measure

PAPAGEORGIOU THESSALONIKI hospital performed the most afternoon surgeries in the month of MARCH 2024. It was also the starting hospital on MARCH 12, 2024. We remind you that in Northern Greece we have the most surgeries waiting for more than a year. Specifically 53% of the total corresponding to over 15,000 surgeries. It is worth quoting the data to establish, beyond the privatization of the NHS, to what extent the measure of afternoon surgeries helps patients who have been waiting years to be operated on.

In PAPAGEORGIOU there is a waiting list of 9,000 surgeries. Patients from all over Greece, mainly from Northern Greece, are waiting on the list. This shows the geographic health disparities and at the same time how much better the situation would be if the regional hospitals were staffed and kept patients from being operated on in the hospitals in their area of ​​residence. Unfortunately, many of these regional hospitals have turned into referral centers due to the under-functioning of their surgical departments.

In PAPAGEORGIOU in the month of March, 29 afternoon surgeries were performed. The 13 of these afternoon surgeries concern patients outside the waiting list, which was updated and includes patients until the end of the year 2023. The first assessment by a doctor that 12 of these patients who were operated on in the afternoon surgeries required surgery was made in the year 2024 at PAPAGEORGIOU hospital .

In fact, a patient who was operated on in the afternoon surgeries was never examined by surgeons of the corresponding specialty at the PAPAGEORGIOU hospital. The remaining 16 patients who were operated on in the afternoon surgeries and were on the surgery list of 9,000 patients, 6 were registered in the year 2023. They also operated on patients who were waiting from 2018 to 2022. That is, there are patients who have been waiting for six years to be operated on! Most of the 29 patients were from areas outside Thessaloniki. Mainly from Northern Greece. But there was a patient who was operated on from the Ionian Islands. So how will evening surgeries help eliminate waiting lists? You do not follow any order of priority.

Patients refuse to pay and for that there is no order. Who will do the job of telling patients on the list if they wish to pay to have surgery? That’s why they find anyone who shows interest whether they are or are not registered on the list. If PAPAGEORGIOU hospital had staff and opened the 4 closed operating theaters there would be no waiting list in a short period of time. Such staffing will not solve the problem with the minimal and off-the-list most afternoon surgeries. If the recovery fund existed and patients were operated on for free, the priority could be respected. Now whatever. So it’s a shame to choose the wrong path by making patients pay again for public health. The state must and has an obligation to increase the salaries of health workers. Not the patients. They pay enough in taxes and contributions.