A total of 5,895 notices for work suspension have been handed out so far to workers in the private and public health sectors who refuse to be vaccinated. The suspension notices are issued by the hosptal and facilities managements. The deadline for their compulsory vaccination against Covid-19 expired on Wednesday.
The government had said it would not extend the deadline, but would proceed with suspensions from work and garnering of salaries.
Among the suspension notices was also one to a doctor at Elena hospital in Athens, a unionist who has received both vaccination shots since winter. Doctor Costas Katarachias posted that he received a suspension on his social media account.
Following an outrage, the Health Ministry said it launched an internal investigation and that Katarachias’s suspension will be revoked.
A platform for auxiliary health staff to apply for temporary jobs opened on Sept 1. The platform will only remain open until September 8, to cover any gaps in services where health staff have been suspended.
A total of 10,000 hospital personnel was unvaccinated, union POEDIN said on Wednesday.
Suspensions of doctors, nursing, ambulance, lab, administrative and other staff is expected to create huge shortages in the operation of hospitals, ambulances and the whole public health care system that is at risk to collapse.
With an amendment tabled at the Parliament on Thursday, the Health Ministry reportedly gives the option that the vacancies are filled by private companies especially regarding services in cleaning and catering, while laboratory tests will be outsourced to private diagnostic centers.
In case the needs in the ambulance service are not met, also the private sector can jump in.
How the private (health) sector will deal with the increased demand the moment it will also suspend unvaccinated workers is a domino effect most probably another smart minister of the Greek government will have to deal with.
And what about the vaccinated that go to work being positive. As they have not been tested?
When you enter an airplane and you have the choice of sitting near a vaccinated person or an unvaccinated what would be your choice?
My one would be near the unvaccinated as he has a negative test in his pocket. Otherwise he would not sit there.
The actual situation has nothing to do with common sense.