Doctors warn new legislation will throw clinics into ‘chaos’

After holding a series of walkouts in previous weeks, Greek doctors warned of fresh action over a Health Ministry bill that Parliament passed Thursday overhauling their working hours and staff recruitment procedures.

Under the new rules, doctors will work 12-hour duty shifts, while maximum weekly working hours are now set at 48 (these can be extended to 60 hours per week with the doctor’s consent). Furthermore, doctors will no longer receive compensation for being on standby.

Doctors are also reacting to new rules pertaining the recruitment of doctors, under which heads of department will no longer have a say in the selection of staff.

Speaking to Kathimerini, the president of the Athens and Piraeus hospital doctors’ association (EINAP), Matina Pagoni, said “the new regulations effectively introduce ‘rolling’ working hours.”

“Unless more doctors are hired, clinics will be thrown into chaos,” she added.