There seems to be deeper reasons for the controversy that has erupted in recent days over GESS, after the statements of DISY Deputy Chairman Haris Georgiadis and EDEK chairman in the Finance Committee, which provoked a strong reaction from two former Health Ministers.
Information from “P” states that the statements of Haris Georgiadis and Marinos Sizopoulos in favor of certain changes in the GESS are not accidental. On the contrary, they concern the agreement reached during the period of consultations that followed the budget vote by the opposition parties last December.
Informal agreement
According to executives of the ruling party and EDEK, an informal agreement was reached between DISY and Marinos Sizopoulos during the consultations. Specifically, it was agreed that EDEK would vote in favor of the budget, which was done in January, in exchange for some changes in the philosophy of GESS. The promise given to Marinos Sizopoulos by the ruling party was that the legislation would be changed so that doctors outside the system could be prescribed. In fact, EDEK executives who disagree with the changes promoted by Marinos Sizopoulos pointed out the fact that the Movement has been voting against the budget for so many years, apart from the issues of Defense and Health.
Presidential
The same information states that the informal agreement reached last January between EDEK and DISY returned to the consultations that began in view of the presidency. It seems that the president of EDEK raised again the issue of changes in the system so that there can be coexistence in view of the presidential elections. A fact that triggered the controversy that broke out for the GESS.
Sizopoulos is moving forward
However, at yesterday's plenary session of the Parliament, the president of EDEK, Marinos Sizopoulos, submitted a proposal regarding two amendments to the operation of the GESS. Specifically, Marinos Sizopoulos promotes the following changes:
- Personal doctors should be paid by appointment and not by list.
- To have the right to prescribe services and medicines covered by GESS, doctors who are outside the General Health System.
The amendments proposed by Marinos Sizopoulos have been referred to the parliamentary Health Committee for discussion.
Approaches DISY
From the proposals submitted by the president of EDEK at yesterday's plenary session, it seems that an attempt is being made to approximate the positions expressed last Monday in the Finance Committee by the vice president and MP of DISY, Haris Georgiadis.
It is recalled that the dance of statements for GESS was opened on Monday by DISY MP Haris Georgiadis, who raised the issue of changes in the Finance Committee. “As for the way doctors are paid, for example, who are paid per capita, we believe that those who receive patients should be paid, not the one who has his phone turned off,” he said.
Former ministers react
Former Minister of Health Konstantinos Ioannou strongly disagrees with the bill submitted to the plenary session of the Parliament yesterday by Marinos Sizopoulos, who stated in a post on Twitter that “it is known to those involved in Health that Mr. Sizopoulos wants the demolition of GESS, but to accuse and slander the leadership of organized patients goes beyond the limits “.
The reaction of the former Minister of Health George Pamporidis is also strong, who in a post on Twitter spoke about political swindlers who slander him, photographing the president of EDEK.
Specifically, Mr. Pamporidis stated that: “The more some well-known political swindlers indulge in my slander, the more my political choices in favor of the citizen are justified. My honor and my pride that I found myself in front of them. My honor and my pride that they never wrapped me in their tentacles “. In fact, he hinted that they would find him in front of them, saying that “we will say it again”.
Pamporidis insists
Former Minister of Health George Pamporidis insists that some proposed changes change the architecture of GESS. In fact, in a post on Twitter, addressing the president and vice-president of DISY, he stated that “prescribing by doctors not contracted with OAY is an architectural change in the system, which circumvents and dynamizes the philosophy of GESS”.
What Averoff says
In yesterday's statements, the president of DISY Averof Neophytou clarified that there is no issue of changing the architecture and philosophy of GESS. “On the contrary,” he said, “we are in favor of the strictest application of the GESS laws, but also of any stay or exploitation by any expert. For the good of patients and society. So, there is no question of changing philosophy or architecture, period and hyphen “.
DEOK also reacts
The president of EDEK did not convince the party trade union movement either. In fact, in yesterday's announcement, DEOK emptied Marinos Sizopoulos, expressing “its concern and ringing the alarm bell regarding the positions and initiatives of parties that aim to change the philosophy of the General Health Plan”.
