Those insured at EOPPY will also pay doctors themselves

Starting on Monday, September 3, the doctors affiliated with the National Organization of Health Services (EOPYY) will stop cooperating with the agency, resulting in the insured having to pay, apart from medicines, for medical visits themselves.

In its statement, the Union of EOPYY Doctors says the formation of the larger organization of health services was done in a rough and haphazard manner without proper planning and with very low funding. The budget deficit started with 683 million euros and after the first 8 months of 2012 stands at 1.5 billion with a prospect of reaching 2 billion by the end of the year.

According to Association of EOPYY doctors, the Agency owes clinicians over 50 million euros and 200 million to laboratory physicians for 2012 and 570 million and 540 million for 2010 and 2011 respectively. They add that "all of the above leads to the conclusion that in the last 2 years doctors have lent to EOPYY more than 1.3 billion euros without interest."

EOPYY doctors are accusing deputy health minister Marios Salmas of lack of dialogue and "a tactic of threats and blackmail."

For as long as doctors remain unpaid the Athens Medical Association (ISA) suggests that the EOPYY director and the Health minister should not receive their salary. "We all must support the public health system of our country and bear the burden of this situation, without exception and for as long as it is needed. If the minister cannot give the money owed to health employees, it is his moral duty as long as he keeps them unpaid not to receive his second salary (the ministerial one, in addition to the parliamentary one). He must support this effort with a symbolic but meaningful act, exercising his duties on a "voluntary basis".

Beginning September 1st, the Pharmaceutical Association has decided to suspend issuing medicine on credit to those insured at EOPYY.