Rehabilitating the health sector
The announcements by Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos yesterday have catapulted the problems of the national health system back to center stage. All sides agree on the need for additional medical staff as persisting shortages have rendered virtually all of the state hospitals dysfunctional. However, the New Democracy administration must make sure it does not repeat a mistake that has plagued the medical system over the previous decades – the recruitment of nurses or laboratory staff who are soon promoted to administrative positions because of their political connections. This is a far from rare practice, and it has created gaps in the front line and staff surpluses at the rear. It is an inadmissible practice that the government has to stop if it wants to see significant and essential changes to healthcare in Greece. To do this, the government must adopt drastic institutional measures that will block the back doors and end the practice. Increasing the health budget is also necessary but it will not prevent a crisis in the national health system. This newspaper agrees with Avramopoulos that recruiting more people, as well as improving hospital infrastructure and the reception of patients, are mandatory changes. However, as demonstrated by Britain’s NHS example, where big investments failed to yield the anticipated results, substantial improvement in the sector can only come through a strategic revision plan which will combine the provisions of the welfare state with the flexibility and efficiency of the free market. Striking the right balance is up to the Health Ministry and its political leadership.
