Midwives walk out over unpaid wages
Afternoon surgeries at Athens’ Alexandra Hospital have been suspended indefinitely as midwives refuse to participate due to unpaid wages.
The midwives, who play a vital role in assisting surgical teams, have not been compensated for the work they have performed in surgeries since April this year. As a result, no afternoon surgeries have been scheduled for the upcoming week.
The payment issue affects all personnel involved in the hospital’s afternoon surgeries. The hospital has not implemented the required software to process payments, leaving many workers waiting for compensation.
At a related hospital, Elena Venizelou, a temporary solution using Excel has been applied to ensure staff are paid, highlighting the ongoing challenge at Alexandra.
Until recently, Alexandra Hospital conducted three to four afternoon surgeries per week, primarily for non-emergency cases.
With the suspension, patients face extended wait times for surgery, as the hospital’s daytime schedule is already overloaded. In some cases, the wait for elective laparoscopic procedures can extend up to a year.
The issue has raised concerns about the creation of a secondary waiting list for those opting for afternoon surgeries, further delaying access to care.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is preparing to launch a free afternoon surgery program for patients on the waiting list, with a projected 37,500 surgeries scheduled by mid-November.
However, the ongoing payment dispute remains unresolved.
