Evening surgery: Official first in “Papageorgiou” and AHEPA – Planning and Costs

Thessaloniki Hospital opens its doors first in the new evening institution today, Tuesday (12.03. 24) at 4 p.m. An hour later, at 5 p.m., the first surgery begins and the second hospital in Thessaloniki, which is part of the afternoon operation of the surgery in the NSY. The Hospital will be in both hospitals, the presence at the opening of afternoon surgeries, the political leadership of the Ministry of Health and specifically, the Minister of Health, Adoni Georgiades and the Deputy Minister of Health, Marios Themistocleous. It should be noted that in both hospitals the first five patients will be operated on, for payment. In the hospital “Papageorgiou” will be conducted two orthopaedic surgery (knee arthroplasty) and two general surgery procedures (bubon-cell surgery), in one man and one woman. Another patient will be operated on in AHEPA. Most of the first five patients to be operated on tomorrow, according to Health Minister Adoni Georgiades, have been on a waiting list for regular surgery … since 2020! Please note that “Papageorgiou” has a waiting list that counts nearly 9,000 people, while according to the official data of the Ministry of Health, 14,000 patients have been on a waiting list for over a year in hospitals in Northern Greece. According to the planning made by the Surgery Committee of the “Papageorgiou”, in hospital afternoon surgery (for which 2 of about 10 active operating rooms of the morning surgeries will be used for start-up) will be conducted: 10 to 15 surgeries per week 40 to 60 surgeries per month After “Papageorgiou” and AHEPA within the week follow other hospitals that have expressed interest and declare ready to begin their afternoon service. Indicatively, and as it emerged after the online meeting held at noon on Friday (08.03. 24), the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiades and the Deputy Minister of Health, Marios Themistocleus with the administrators of hospitals all over the country, follow hospitals: “Evangelism”, Thorakos Hospital “Sotiria”, General State “G. Genomes”, Hospital “Attikon”, and the General State of Nice. How much will patients pay? Based on the classification of the severity of the surgery in 6 categories, the surgery to be conducted today belongs to the categories “very small” and “small” of gravity, while the orthopedics belong to the category of “heaviest” surgery. On the basis of the cost list of new afternoon surgeries, as determined in recent legislation by the health and finance ministries, the patient will be charged overall for the payment of the surgeries in the NSO, from 300 to 2,000 euros, which – according to the Ministry of Health – is almost 1/3 of the amount that the citizen would pay in the private sector. For example, the afternoon surgery in the NSS for the groin costs 500 euros, while in private it exceeds 1,800 euros. A cholecystectomy that in private costs more than 2,500 euros in the afternoon surgery will cost between 500 and 1,200 euros. The aim of the Ministry of Health is to reduce the huge waiting list currently in the NSS and includes 102,000 patients waiting to undergo surgery, while 50,000 of these surgeries will be made free of charge in the afternoon operation of the Health system, with funds to be disbursed from April and after the Recovery Fund. The doctors react At the same time, the hospital doctors of the co-captain (ENITH) organize a protest performance today at 12:30 outside the Hospital “Papageorgiou” and proceed to a three-hour work stop (12:00 – 15:00). “With the activation of paid afternoon surgeries and the consultation bill for the private work of NSY physicians, the government surpasses itself and progresses multiple steps further on the commercialisation of the NSY,” hospital doctors say in a statement, urging the health ministry, instead of organizing “communicational fiestas”, as doctors say, to personally strengthen the public health system. On the contrary, the Thessaloniki Medical Association (ITHS), who sent a letter of protest to the Ministry of Health, states. “In the present circumstances the operation of the NSO with surgery in the afternoon hours – self-evident for most European countries – becomes extremely problematic,” notes the SMP. As regards the part providing for private work by the doctors of the NIS, the ISH comments that the working regime should be clear, while for those who choose and private work there should be, as doctors say, “converting full and exclusive jobs into part time positions, so that for each one position of doctors of the NSN can result in 2 part-time positions. In this way, it will be possible again with a clear working regime and ‘equal conditions’ for private sector doctors to be employed in the NSS,’ concludes IHH. Reportage: Janna Soulaki/ Source: Iatropedia.gr