Greek citizens on waiting lists to be operated will have access to 37,000 free evening surgeries starting Nov. 28., announced Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday.
The decision aims to first assist patients who have been waiting the longest. The goal, he said, is to reduce waiting times down to four months while easing pressure on the national healthcare system.
Addressing a parliament plenary session on a draft healthcare bill, Mitsotakis said revised legislation was aimed at ensuring prevention and equal access to health services in order to improve public health in Greece.
Other issues on the agenda included the “personal doctor” initiative, which he said has been delayed with only 44% of citizens having registered. Under the program, every general practitioner can register up to 2,000 patients.
At the same time, in order to encourage more doctors to sign up their services, Mitsotakis said the government would offer a 40,000-euro one-off grant as incentive for graduates who specialize in general family medicine or internal pathology.
The PM also said eight university health centers were being set up in order to relieve hospitals of emergency incidents.
He went on to refer to the government’s prevention program dubbed “Prolamvano”, which he said for the first time in Greece offers free preventative screening to the public. He cited the Fofi Gennimata program which offers free mammograms as a key initiative.
Other actions under the reform include channeling 650 million euros into upgrade works at hospitals and health centers: 130 of which to be ready by next summer and the remaining 156 by the end of 2025 as well as the construction of three new hospitals across the country.
Lastly, the PM announced the recruitment of 10,000 doctors and health care professionals by 2027, adding that in January new wage increases will be in place.
