Doctors unions in Greece have been denouncing that the mass vaccination program for health personnel in the country’s public hospitals scheduled for Monday has been cancelled and thus without explanation. The government tries to dismiss these denouncements, but doctors insist.
Speaking to Ant1 TV on Sunday morning, Matina Pagoni, president of the doctors union in Athens & Piraeus EINAP appealed on the continuation of the inoculation of health personnel in public hospitals.
She reiterated the denouncements that 450-470 vaccinations in Gennimatas hospital in Athens and in several hospitals in across the country scheduled for Monday have been cancelled.
Panos Papanikolaou, president of doctors’ union OGNE published documents confirming the (indefinite) cancellation of mass vaccinations, the the neurosurgeon at Nikia hospital described it..
Media revealed on New Year’s Eve that the scheduled vaccination program for the health personnel in Halkida hospital was suddenly cancelled. Soon similar denouncements came from hospitals in Lamia, Tripolis Messolonghi, Pyrgos, Kyparissia, Patras, Serres, Xanthi, Grevena and others.
“Greece’s inoculation program is unfolding, uninterrupted, at nine of the country’s public hospitals, said Health Ministry Secretary General for Primary Health Care,” Marios Themistokleous, said late on Saturday, stressing that that the “inoculation program is unfolding without interruption.”
He added that 3,001 vaccinations were carried out until midday Saturday; 264 were carried out on New Year’s Day alone and another 344 were performed later on Saturday.
The mass vaccination of some 5,000 health workers, including doctors and nursing staff, will begin on Monday at another 42 public hospitals.The vaccination of health personnel is scheduled to be concluded on Jan 10.
Also on Monday, the National Public Health Organization’s (EODY) mobile medical teams will begin administering the coronavirus vaccines to residents at nursing homes.
There is currently no issue that could see either the postponement or cancellation of scheduled vaccinations, Themistokleous said.
Opposition parties SYRIZA, KINAL, KKE and MeRA25 issued statements criticizing the vaccination cancelling and demanding explanations.
A total of 93,600 doses of Covid-19 vaccines arrived in Greece on Dec 26 and 29. The first to get inoculated were neither health staff involved in the battle against the pandemic nor elderly in nursing homes but dozens of government officials.
Why the vaccination program is done at the speed of a 100-year-old turtle is not known.
Pfitzer wrote that it may take couple of days at home to recover from vaccine. So if all hospital workers were scheduled for vaccination at the same time, there may be nobody left to run hospital for couple of days.
If they had started the first day as promised they would be nearly complete by now and why anticipate days off to recover, is the vaccine not the same as used in other countries where it has been rare to cause sickness in recipients?
It is hurtful to those sacrificing and risking their lives for the health and care of others, to be treated in this way.
What was all the clapping and cheering in praise of health workers when true esteem or lack thereof is now revealed?
Empty noise! Actions speak louder than words! Sadly!