Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias appealed to private doctors on Wednesday to join the public health system currently under immense pressure due to spike of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.
The Minister offered incentives to doctors like a monthly salary of 2,000 euros which will not be taxed or confiscated in case they had debts to the state.
According to state broadcaster ERT, by Wednesday noon, 26 doctors had responded to the appeal.
ERT reported that over 95% of ICU beds for Covid-19 had reached their capacity in Athens and broader Attica.
Daily confirmed coronavirus infections spiked to over 3,000 on Tuesday with half of them detected in Attica. Pressure at the health system in immense.
After failing to strengthen the public health system in the one year of pandemic, the Health Ministry follows also for Athens the model of Thessaloniki of last autumn, where it tried to engage private doctors when hospitals reached the verge of collapse due to the outbreak.
Athens and broader Attica is home to over 4 million people.
Somewhat ironical that not so many years ago the government of the day told doctors that they could work privately or work for the public health system but not both, which many of them did at the time. Perhaps regretting that edict now?