Transfers to deal with long waits for children’s surgery

Responding to criticism about the long waiting lists for surgeries at the Agia Sophia Children’s Hospital in Athens, Health Minister Thanos Plevris said the problem was due to a shortage of anaesthetists, stressing that they will be transferred there from other hospitals for two months while efforts to recruit permanent staff will begin.

“I do not like to sugarcoat things… Let’s not think that one transfer doesn’t create a problem somewhere else,” Plevris told Skai TV.

“The problem with surgeries started in 2018. In 2019 there were 2,853 surgeries on the list. Today the number stands at 2,925 surgeries as they increased by 70 during the pandemic,” he said.

Plevris said there were 12 anaesthesiologists in 2019 and now they are down to 10. “There is an overall problem in anaesthesiologists, and at Agia Sophia Children’s this is even worse,” he said. Anaesthetists at the moment are an overall problem across Europe, he added.