Refused the objection unconstitutionality which was presented by SYRIZA and PASOK against your article Ministry of Health “Strengthening of public health structures by private providers and private doctors to meet needs that may put public health at risk – Authorizing provision – Amendment of article 56 and replacement of § 11 of article 71 of Law 4,931/2022”.
The article in question (article 65) was included in the “completion of psychiatric reform” bill.
The objection was voted against by the coalition’s parliamentarians.
The specific article establishes that “private doctors who exercise any employment relationship in Health Units contracted with the National Organization for the Provision of Health Services (EOPYY) or who are themselves contracted with EOPYY, assume through the aforementioned contracts the obligation to offer health services to meet needs that may put public health at risk, if requested and only for the time absolutely necessary.
The provision of these services is done part-timesince the advertisements to fill the positions have been unsuccessful, the expression of interest by private doctors in filling the vacant positions is fruitless”.
It further stipulates that “if private providers or private physicians contracted by EOPYY refuse to provide services, their contract with EOPYY is terminated.
Furthermore, to private doctors who refuse service under the terms of the previous numbers, whether or not contracted with EOPYY, access to the Electronic Prescription System (ESIS) of the public limited company called “Administração Eletrónica da Segurança Social” (EDIKA SA) is excluded.
“You from SYRIZA, PASOK, New Left, Plefsis Eleftherias, KKE, say that if there is no other solution, and if the proclamations are fruitless, private doctors should not support the system. We, from New Democracy, vote if all conditions have been exhausted and no other solution has been found, then in this case, as stipulated by the Constitution, private employment of free labor is regressed, for a limited time, and under specific conditions, for the greater good of universal access to public health care, for each of our fellow citizens,” said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, and added:
“We here at New Democracy, as a true popular faction of this place, are the only faction that defends our last poor fellow citizen, against all of you hypocrites from the left, who finally come here today and defend private interests!”
The article is constitutional, refers to extraordinary circumstances, will be valid for a limited time, respects the principle of proportionality, said the Minister of Health and emphasized:
“But we are not constitutionalists here. We are MPs. And I, in my political journey, Mr. Nikitiadis (PASOK MP), since I am talking about Kos, I tell the world that Mr. Nikitiadis, for example, leaves the residents of Kos without a doctor! That is what he prefers in today’s vote! Nikitiadis, a resident of the island of Kos, prefers not to see a doctor rather than to oppose Georgiadis! He is a great politician!”
Earlier, PASOK parliamentary representative Dimitris Manzos, developing his party’s objection of unconstitutionality, said that the article introduced by the government clashes with freedom of contract (Article 5 of the Constitution) and is inconsistent with the right of patients to choose their doctor, in the context of the protection of autonomy and the protection of human value (Article 2 of the Constitution) and the functioning of the Social Security system (Article 22 of the Constitution).
He also said that depriving doctors of the electronic prescription system does not affect doctors so much as it affects the patients for whom this system exists.
SYRIZA parliamentary representative Theofilos Xanthopoulos said that the lack of staff in the National Security Service, which is a permanent problem, is an alibi for the government to introduce an additional obstacle. He also said that the sanction of banning private doctors from accessing the electronic prescription system has an essential target: the citizen who will not be able to receive this service.
ND parliamentary representative Thanos Pleuris accused the opposition of hypocrisy. “During the pandemic, your proposal was a demand for private doctors, without pay. You told the government that you are giving a gift to clinics and private doctors that you are giving them a demand, and you asked for a demand and without pay. And today you go so far as to call unconstitutional a measure that takes away the State’s right to demand and in absolutely extraordinary circumstances, comes with a very specific context to appeal to them to support the system,” said Thanos Pleuris.
The parliamentary representative of the Spartans, Ioannis Kontis, said that his party would support the objection of unconstitutionality. However, he questioned, clarifying that this was his personal position, why the parts with the interests of private doctors should be drafted today.
The president of Freedom of Navigation, Zoe Konstantopoulou, accused the government of trying to hide its own responsibilities for the situation at ESY today. “Citizens who live their daily lives in hospitals, as patients, as relatives of patients, nurses, doctors, assistants and other staff, know very well that the neglect of public health is not the fault of a few private doctors, who want to command them,” said the president of Freedom of Navigation and added that the right to command does not concern the general discretion of the State for forced labor. The request is met when it comes to omens and emergency situations, said Konstantopoulou.
Nikos Vrettos, the parliamentary representative of “Victory”, said that the government continues to restrict citizens’ constitutional rights and that the objections of unconstitutionality are valid and substantial.
New Left parliamentary representative Nasos Iliopoulos said the government was misinterpreting the right to subpoena. “Here we are talking about permanent and lasting needs. You know that these are permanent and lasting needs and you call them ‘emergency risks to public health.’ What is traditionally a danger to public health are the policies of New Democracy,” Iliopoulos said.
Hellenic Solution parliamentary representative Konstantinos Boubas said the government clearly intends to privatize healthcare.
KKE parliamentary representative Thanasis Pafilis denounced the privatization strategy that was used by all parties that have governed. “It is EU policy and that is why it is not talked about,” said the KKE parliamentary representative.
AMP Source