Government calls on private doctors, clinics to help battle COVID-19 surge

With Attica ICUs on the brink in a COVID-19 surge, Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias in a televised press conference issued a call to private doctors to join with the public health system in battling the epidemic.

He said doctors will receive 2,000 euros monthly pay plus overtime (shifts)

“We must all back the National Health System in the battle we are waging,” he declared.

Indeed, the system is under extreme pressure and the prevailing question is how long it can endure.

One continues to see a four-digit number of cases daily despite the protracted lockdowns.

Every day over 400 COVID-19 patients nationwide are admitted to hospital.

Though there were slightly fewer intubated patients, the Rt nationwide is now estimated at 1.06.

The minister said that the equivalent number of patients as those in a medium-sized hospital are admitted to hospital every day.
As of yesterday the Henry Dunant Hospital Center is doing non-COVID shifts and the Sismanogleio Hospital has been turned into a COVID reference hospital.

Two more private clinics are expected to join in the effort.

Until now 1.082 million Greeks have been vaccinated and yesterday over 24,000 people took the jab.

The first category (Group A) of patients who are in vulnerable groups as regards contracting and surviving COVID-19 will begin to be vaccinated in the next 10 days.

Next week the government is expected to decide on when to open retail trade.
Vimatodotis