Psychiatrists Mass-Summoned for Inquiry Over Alleged Duty Breach in Attica Hospitals

The Dafni Psychiatric Hospital successful south-west Athens is 1 of the biggest facilities successful Greece. Credit: AMNA

A preliminary enquiry has been launched, summoning each work psychiatrists from nationalist hospitals successful Attica who person been connected telephone since February 1, 2024.

The enactment follows a suit filed by constabulary officers, who allege continuous breach of work and reckless endangerment done concurrence of offenses.

The enquiry does not people a fewer isolated doctors, but astir the full psychiatric unit of nationalist units successful Attica.

Considering that hundreds of psychiatrists person been connected work implicit the 21 months successful question, the summons constitutes an unprecedented wide transgression proceeding against National Health System (ESY) scientists.

The constabulary officers filed the suit concerning incidents involving the transport of mentally sick patients, either for involuntary committedness oregon transfers betwixt facilities successful Attica. In these cases, the psychiatrists are accused of refusing admittance oregon declaring an inability to hospitalize patients owed to a deficiency of disposable beds.

Reactions: “Criminalization of psychiatry”

The Employees Association of the Dafni Psychiatric Hospital (ESY-PNA Dafni) issued a connection decrying a “Groundbreaking incidental of blatant authorities intervention” successful the enactment of doctors.

“The Government, Police, and Prosecutors are intervening successful the astir brutal way, astatine a clip erstwhile the NHS is collapsing and doctors are being made scapegoats.”

The employees impeach the prosecutors of “criminalizing the signifier of psychiatry” and request contiguous involution from the Ministry of Health.

The Hellenic Psychiatric Association (HPS) released a stern announcement, stating:

“We were informed with aggravated interest astir the summoning of each psychiatrists successful nationalist clinics successful Attica for a preliminary inquiry. Essentially, the full psychiatric assemblage of the NHS is being summoned. We telephone connected the Ministries of Health, Citizen Protection, and Justice to presume their responsibilities and instantly halt the criminalization of psychiatric practice.”

The HPS emphasized that the deficiency of beds and understaffing successful nationalist psychiatric units is simply a chronic occupation and not a “breach of duty.”

Critical shortages successful authorities intelligence wellness structures

According to information cited by the employees, the nationalist psychiatric beds successful Greece person been reduced to 900, portion the backstage assemblage beds present transcend 4,000.

As a result, patients look regular waiting periods successful constabulary stations, transfers from infirmary to hospital, and the mentally sick are often hospitalized connected stretchers (overflow beds).

This full lawsuit sets a unsafe precedent of doctors being criminally accountable for systemic shortcomings of the National Health System.