Nikoletta Kouroussi
Reactions were sparked by the apparent intention of DISY and EDEK to attempt changes to the basic legislation of the GESS, at a time when the previously hidden disagreements in the government camp, regarding the philosophy and the character of the System, are coming to light. The intentions of DISY and EDEK were revealed during yesterday's discussion of the budget of the Ministry of Health during the joint meeting of the Parliamentary Committees on Finance and Health.
Strong dissatisfaction is expressed by the former Minister of Health, George Pamporidis, who has been engaging in twitter since the morning in an online confrontation with Haris Georgiadis, warning the Deputy President of DISY that “you will find us opposite”.
“DISY is in favor of specific changes, which we do not consider to change the philosophy of GESS”, wrote Haris Georgiadis, with George Pamporidis answering that “if no change is made in the philosophy of GESS, you have no reason to worry. But if it is attempted, either by you or by Sizopoulos (who praised you yesterday for your declared intentions), then you will find us all opposite again “ . #KoutsiaCleaned
“As for how 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. This is an example of changes “, said Mr. Georgiadis indicatively for the proposed changes.
The intervention of the former Minister of Health, Konstantinos Ioannou, was also characteristic, in a post by the president of OSAK, Marios Kouloumas on twitter, who on the same wavelength as George Pamporidis , assured the president of the patients that “whoever attempts changes in his philosophy he will find us opposite him “. After all, the former Minister of Health was the man who put the GESS on its rails.
Earlier, the president of the patients, Marios Kouloumas, commented with dissatisfaction on the relevant developments, writing that they did not digest that the GESY was made for the benefit of the citizens and suggestions for derailment, understood by “Jews”, return, but many questions when asked by DISY, after the statement of the President of the Republic, which leaves no doubt, “above my corpse” the legislation will be changed “.
The member of the Scientific Committee of OSAK, Dr. Christos Petrou , also entered the … “dance” of attitudes, leaving points against Marinos Sizopoulos, writing characteristically that “on an exoplanet, which made a health system, a doctor-MP, does not want to log in. But he decided to make a proposal for a “Botox” law and give himself the right to prescribe within the system! Fortunately, this is not the case in our country. “
The chairman of the Scientific Committee of OSAK, Dr. Konstantinos Tsioutis, also spoke, pointing out that “some” forget “that OAY has already prepared a plan to restore 70% (per capita) / 30% with quality criteria in the salaries of Personal Doctors, such as * provided * for the original bill. We expect the developments from OAU “.
Averoff: “We found heaps of bad practices”
Averof Neophytou then tried to drop the tone in a meeting with OSAK, arguing that the goal of the changes promoted by DISY is not to change the philosophy of GESS but to fight bad practices.
Pointing out that the GESS is the biggest social reform, for which there is no precedent, he stressed that DISY “considers a maximum social obligation to keep the health system healthy and its finances to be sustainable.”
“While on the one hand it is our common position,” he noted, “that there is no question of changing philosophy and architecture together, we found a lot of bad practices, problems that we will never allow through an image that no one will touch anything, experts who take advantage of the system to pose problems both in the quality of the services offered and in their sustainability. I want to be documentary first and then specific “.
He went on to say that “if some people in GESS think that they have an arbor full of prickly grapes in front of them and he is about to cut more to put in his zeppelin, the time will soon come when the whole arbor will come and cover us. from above and the first victims will be the patients. So bad practices, someone who has thousands of patients registered as a personal doctor without having a nurse, without having a special one, without serving and it is raining and snowing at the end of the month will get the salary, it is not like that plan we voted for “.
“It is necessary”, Mr. Neophytou argued, “there should be an arrangement, a part of the fee should be related to the service it provides, it should be interesting to quickly make an appointment with his patient, to take care of his patient. Secondly, we cannot have GESS without the full administrative and financial autonomy of the public hospitals “.
He sent a message to the Board of Directors of OKYPY, the Government, the parties and the unions, “that no one can put obstacles in the way of the autonomy, the full and administrative and financial autonomy of the public hospitals. We are here in collaboration with the Patients' Federation to protect the Cypriot patient. For us, the Cypriot patient is paramount. And when we say law enforcement, we mean it. “Without changing the philosophy and the architecture, to fully apply the law and to combat phenomena of either exploitation or bad practices, because it is a pity that what was built was ruined by some experts”.
When asked by a journalist about the report of the President of the Democratic Alarm to the personal doctors and whether some criteria will be considered in relation to their salaries, Mr. Neophytou answered: “I am not responsible but I said something clear. It is not possible to have thousands of patients and not be obliged by the OAV, that you must have a doctor's office. That you must have a nurse, that you must have a particular answering phones to the thousands of patients who are registered near you. Second, 100% of your earnings can not be related to how many you wrote on the list and have nothing to do with how many you served. So something mixed has to be done. This is to the benefit of both the conscientious, the personal physician and the patient and the system. “
The Minister of Health, Michalis Hatzipandelas, moved in the same direction, stating that “the philosophy and the architecture of GESS, does not change”.
“Both the President of the Republic and I were clear,” said the Minister of Health, when asked to comment on the reactions that were provoked after the statement of Haris Georgiadis.
Asked if the changes concern the salaries of Personal Physicians, he noted that in a meeting last Friday with the OAU, the subject of discussion was how to improve the issue with Personal Physicians. “Responsible for the improvement is the OAY, the Ministry of Health made its suggestions to the OAY and we are waiting for their suggestions”, he concluded.
