Federation of Greek Hospital Physicians’ Associations (OENGE) harshly criticized the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadisby calling him “a liar and a boor”which “behaves similar the manager of a backstage clinic”.
The crushed was the situation with a young pediatrician who fell exhausted aft five continuous regular shifts connected the land of Samos.
Another acute struggle broke retired betwixt the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis and nationalist assemblage doctors. The crushed was a video signaling of a young pediatrician who said that she fell exhausted after 5 continuous regular shifts successful a infirmary connected the land of Samos.
Ως προς το βίντεο με την ειδικευόμενη ιατρό που προκάλεσε τόσο μεγάλη αναστάτωση στα κοινωνικά media. Πρόκειται για αγροτική ιατρό η οποία βάσει ενός νόμου αποφάσισε να κάνει την υπηρεσία υπαίθρου της στην Αττική. Ο Νόμος όμως αυτός, ως αντιστάθμισμα για την εύνοια να μήν…
— Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης (@AdonisGeorgiadi) April 29, 2026
Regarding the video with a pediatric resident, which caused a large stir connected κοινωνικά networks.
We’re talking astir agrotico-doctor (a doc of compulsory agrarian service), who, according to the law, decided to service successful Attica.
However, the aforesaid law, arsenic compensation for the accidental not to spell to the province, obliges her by bid ΥΠΕ (Regional Health Authority) to determination to work successful a infirmary successful the portion if emergencyand for a constricted play of time.
Such a request arose, and by determination of the 2nd ΥΠΕ she was transferred to the land for 5 days Samoswhere she was accommodated escaped of complaint successful a caller flat specially built for such cases.
During her stay there, she accepted a total of 19 children and registered 4 hospitalizations. All cases were planned, without a single exigency patient.
There was nary recorded overtime oregon other duty. She besides did not record immoderate complaints with the infirmary management.
The infirmary manager expressed surprise astatine its publication.
She was paid for these services successful the usual manner, arsenic provided by law.
After my statement this morning, she deleted her post.
I want to stress erstwhile again: I will not let you to turn public wellness system into the subject of connection games.
In effect to the statement of the Minister, who called this situation “normal”, the Federation of Associations of Hospital Doctors of Greece (OENGE) issued a tough authoritative position.
Doctors accused Georgiadis of “outright lies”, “rudeness” and behaviour that is much typical of “CEO of a backstage session oregon healthcare concern group”than for a minister.
Basic requirements of OENGE
In its statement, the federation highlighted the disastrous working conditions successful nationalist hospitals, particularly successful the regions: chronic shortages of staff, grueling schedules and excessive shifts that destruct the wellness of some young doctors and patients themselves.
On call, από το σπίτι της δηλαδή. Είδε 19 παιδάκια σε 5 μέρες. Στο Παίδων Αγία Σοφία βλέπουν 19 παιδιά την ώρα. Ψυχραιμία. pic.twitter.com/uY8QG0EcWT
— ΕΛΛΑΔΑ 24 (@ellada24) April 30, 2026
OENGE demanded:
- Immediate abolition of the outdated instauration of agrotiko (compulsory agrarian service);
- Ending the signifier of forced transfers of doctors crossed the country;
- Mass recruitment of qualified specialists;
- Stop the lies and threats from the government.
The doctors were peculiarly indignant astatine the minister’s assertion that 5 continuous 24-hour shifts were supposedly a mean workload. OENGE called such statements “outrageous” and emphasized that such practices are not lone inhumane, but besides downright illegal.
The well-known interventional cardiologist and manager of the European Health System, Antonis Samaras, besides joined successful the minister’s criticism, calling Georgiadis’ effect a “slap successful the face.”
The situation with overworked doctors and chronic staff shortages successful Greek nationalist hospitals remains 1 of the astir pressing problems successful the country’s healthcare system.
Editorial comment
Who’s close and who’s wrong?
Doctors (OENGE) are fundamentally close astir the essence of the problem.
The situation with a young pediatrician who was forced to spell disconnected work 5 days successful a row (120 hours with virtually nary sleep) is simply a existent occupation successful the Greek healthcare system. This signifier is unsafe some for doctors themselves (risk of aesculapian errors, burnout, depression) and for patients. Chronic staff shortages, forced transfers of doctors astir the state and the exploitation of young specialists done the institute “agritiko” are long-known and superior systemic problems of the Greek EΣΥ (public wellness attraction system).
Minister Adonis Georgiadis is wrong successful this peculiar case successful signifier and mostly successful content.
Trying to contiguous 5 continuous regular shifts arsenic a “normal” situation, and the doc arsenic astir “privileged” due to the fact that she allegedly “chose to service successful Attica” is cynical and retired of touch with reality. When a doc collapses from exhaustion, this is not a “communication game”, but a awesome of a superior system failure.
However, doctors are besides not wholly right: sometimes their statements amusement excessive emotionality and politicization, and idiosyncratic demands (complete abolition of agrotiko without a transition period) whitethorn beryllium unrealistic successful conditions of an acute shortage of unit successful the regions.
Why does Georgiadis behave so rudely and boorishly?
This is not an mishap oregon conscionable “bad character.” This is his **conscious and semipermanent governmental style**.
- Georgiadis is simply a erstwhile subordinate of the far-right LAOS party, a well-known populist, a talented polemicist and media fighter.
- He ever worked successful an assertive and confrontational style: harsh language, idiosyncratic attacks, labels (“communists”, “liars”, “enemies of the system”).
- A important portion of the New Democracy electorate (especially the blimpish and close wing) likes this style – helium is perceived arsenic a “strong man” who “doesn’t springiness successful to the near and the trade unions.”
Why is helium not punished, but alternatively encouraged?
Here are respective reasons:
- He is simply a classical lightning rod for Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Mitsotakis prefers the representation of a moderate, European, technocratic premier minister. Georgiadis takes connected each the soiled work: tough responses to trade unions, doctors, the opposition, the media. When you request to accidental something rude oregon unpopular, Adonis comes forward. The premier curate remains “above the fray.” - He is very utile to the party.
Georgiadis perfectly holds the close flank of New Democracy, preventing it from leaving for much extremist forces. He is simply a bully speaker and mobilizer of his conception of voters. - In Greek politics, rudeness often works.
The governmental civilization of Greece is rather rigid and personalized. Many politicians (on some sides) take an assertive tone. Georgiadis is not lone not punished for this, but his standing within the enactment often lone grows from this. - He sincerely thinks so.
Georgiadis is simply a strong advocator of much market-based approaches to healthcare. He does judge that the authorities system is too loose, the unions are too powerful, and doctors sometimes exaggerate problems. His rudeness is not lone a tactic, but besides a reflection of his worldview.
Final opinion
The struggle is symptomatic. Behind him stands deep Greek nationalist wellness crisis: chronic underfunding, shortage of doctors successful the regions, mediocre absorption and staff fatigue.
Georgiadis is rude not due to the fact that helium “doesn’t cognize however to behave”, but due to the fact that this is his proven governmental relation – the relation of the “evil cop” successful the Mitsotakis government. And arsenic agelong arsenic this relation brings governmental points to the close wing of New Democracy, his behaviour will beryllium tolerated and sometimes encouraged.
The essence of the quality is simple: is it imaginable to unit a doc to work 5 days successful a enactment without mean rest? The reply is evident – No. Everything other is authorities and rhetoric.
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