As Greece continues to downsize the public sector as part of ongoing reforms demanded by international lenders in return for bailouts, the government is planning transform a half dozen hospitals in Athens into smaller health care centers.
The change comes in a directive from new Health Minister Adonis Georgiades who said he wants to cut health care spending. The centers will provide only limited services including for those facing chronic health problems.
Greek hospitals are already overrun with hours of waiting in emergency rooms but Georgiadies said fewer hospitals will mean less crowded hospitals although he didn’t explain how.
The Health Ministry said six in ten patients are squeezed into 30 hospitals in the country, 12 of which are located in Athens. Georgiadis said the government would follow the same practice in other parts of Greece.
Regarding hospital staff, after the implementation of the plan, they will be recruited in other hospitals. Georgiades said that the process of transferring the staff would take no more than two months.
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