State hospital workers striking over NHS bill
Greek state hospital workers have announced three days of strike action this week over a draft bill allowing National Health System (NHS) doctors to practice privately and even use public hospital facilities to treat their private patients.
The Athens-Piraeus Hospital Doctors Association (EINAP) has called a 24-hour strike for Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Unionists will hold a protest rally in front of Parliament Monday and Thursday at 12 p.m. A rally has been planned outside the Health Ministry at the same time Tuesday.
The Federation of Hospital Doctors of Greece (OENGE) will hold a 24-hour strike Thursday and a stage rally in front of the House at 1 p.m. the same day.
Additionally, the union representing Greek public hospital staff (POEDIN) will hold a work stoppage Monday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and stage a rally in front of Parliament at 12 p.m. The union has also announced a work stoppage and a rally during the same times Thursday.
The bill, which was submitted to lawmakers last week, has come under fire from both privately and publicly employed doctors. Doctors in private practice claim the bill’s provisions constitute unfair competition and public service personnel say the bill undermines the operations of public hospitals.
OENGE says the measures would “fully privatize state hospitals [and] turn public health into an even more expensive commodity and privilege for the few.”
Supporters of the bill, on the other hand, claim it will allow especially poorly compensated young doctors in the national system to augment their income and attract more doctors to public hospitals.
