Government to introduce relocation bonus for military medical staff

Government plans to introduce a special relocation bonus for the medical staff of military hospitals that will move to public hospitals to cover serious staff shortages. 

Medical staff of military hospitals being moved to different prefectures to serve in National Health System (ESY) medical facilities will be compensated with €1,800 per month, Deputy Minister of National Defence of Greece Ioannis A. Kefalogiannis announced on Monday in parliament.

Greece has been facing critical medical staff shortages in recent years, leading to facilities operating bellow capacity and to medical personnel working overtime without additional compensation. Many patients residing outside large urban centers often need to be referred to different medical facilities due to a lack of staff, such as anesthesiologists, in their prefecture.

Speaking to parliament, Kefalogiannis said that the moving of military medical personnel and the special bonus have been agreed with the health and economy ministries and will soon be legislated.

“There is a surplus of a sense of responsibility within the ranks of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The same success and effectiveness which defend national integrity and the nation’s territorial rights, the military personnel stand by Greek society, defending citizens’ prosperity, wherever and whenever the need arises,” Kefalogiannis said.