Tsipras criticizes anesthesiologist shortage at children’s hospital

The leader of main opposition SYRIZA has called on the Health Ministry to take immediate action to increase the number of anesthesiologists at an Athens children’s hospital, where shortages have created a backlog of 3,000 surgeries.

“In the country’s largest pediatric hospital, we have had no regular surgeries throughout September and we do not know when they will start again,” Alexis Tsipras said during a visit to Agia Sofia Children’s Hospital.

“This gives rise to extremely serious risks for the public health of hundreds of children and leads hundreds of families – 3,000 families because that is the number of children on waiting lists – to seek solutions in private hospitals. This problem has not arisen suddenly, out of the blue. It has been known for a very long time and is the result of a systematic neglect of the national health system,” he said.

The number of anesthesiologists had dropped from 16 in 2019 to just 10, he added.

Tsipras said staff could be requisitioned from the private sector to increase the number of available anesthesiologists at the hospital. [AMNA]