Thousands of ESY hirings planned over next four years

There will be thousands of hirings in the National Health System (ESY) over the next four years, according to Administrative Reform Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, Health Minister Andreas Xanthos and his deputy Pavlos Polakis after a meeting on Monday morning.

The ministers announced a total of 10,000 permanent hirings – 4,000 doctors and 6,000 medical staff. The statement said that 2,500 of those hirings (1,000 doctors and 1,500 medical staff) would take place in 2019.

Xenogiannakopoulou said that the process would adhere to the “one hiring for each departure” principle.

For his part, Polakis said the government had inherited an understaffed national health system that was close to collapse.

He said that there have been 18,000 hirings since October 2015 which have allowed the NHS to “stand on its feet.” He added that there are another 5,000 in the pipeline which are not a part of the hiring program announced on Monday.