ESY / Afternoon surgeries are canceled in practice

Afternoon surgeries have failed before they’ve even begun. This conclusion emerges both from the reactions expressed by the doctors and from the fact that the majority of citizens who are operated on are not on a waiting list. Most patients waiting for an operation do not have the required amount of money, while the 50,000 free surgeries from the Recovery Fund funds ordered by the government remain just promises. Against this background, the government is trying to convince the public that the reform is a lifesaver for the NHS. Her allies are the hospital administrations. Thus, we see cases that are judged to be emergencies being referred to afternoon surgeries just to increase the specific rates.

Against this situation the doctors have put up a wall of resistance in any way they can. Either with their non-participation or with more drastic measures. The case at the Ioannina Hospital is typical, where an afternoon surgery on a cancer patient was scheduled for yesterday! Doctors and workers put up a blockade stressing that it is not possible to not have a morning surgery for the cancer patient and force him to pay. In fact, after the intervention of the Epirus Hospital Doctors Union (EINI), breakfast and a free surgery were planned for the patient on the same day. It is pointed out that the practice of afternoon surgeries on cancer patients was also followed in Atticon in just the first days of afternoon surgeries, proving that the government wants two-speed patients even if it is such a sensitive case.

Zero interest

Doctors have not… embraced the venture with fervor. Their participation is not what the government would like. However, this is a rather logical development, as the minimum staff barely manages to cope with the morning duties. The situation was recently described by the Association of Physicians of Hospitals of Achaia after the announcement by the management of the PGNP of Rio regarding the realization of an afternoon surgery in the Cardiac Surgery Clinic and while the latter performs only four on-calls per month (!) due to a lack of the necessary staff. “At a time when the Cardiac Surgery Clinic is on call for emergencies only four times a month due to a lack of staff, endangering the people of the region, who are forced to spend critical hours either in Ioannina or in Athens at the risk of their lives, it will be done today the first afternoon surgery at the clinic in question, which is unable to cover emergencies.”

At the same time, the interest of citizens is little or even zero. In Volos, although the hospital’s surgery committee ruled that afternoon surgeries could be performed on April 17 and April 25, no operations were performed.

It is noted that nationwide afternoon surgeries have been started for about a month and a half and it is estimated that only 450 have been carried out. There are more than 102,000 citizens on waiting lists and about a third have been waiting to have an operation for more than a year.