Chronicle of a death foretold…

It might be that the two university hospitals in Athens, Aretaieio and Aiginitio, have recently suspended their operation, but they had been sending distress signals throughout the past decade.

The continuous shrinkage of staff and their funding did not predict a bright future for them. Their situation was worsened by the blocking of this year's funding by the Education ministry – attributed to the untimely deployment of budget data by the National Kapodistrian University, to which the two hospitals belong.

Unable to stay up and running

In a joint meeting on 7/4/2011, the Committees of the two hospitals said they had decided to suspend their participation in the on-call roster of Athens hospitals and in-patient treatment, because of the failure to meet their obligations concerning operating costs and staff salaries.

“Due this issue, the two hospitals are facing major problems in  their commitment to covering operating costs (medicine, food, sanitary equipment, fuel) and payroll costs”, reads the statement signed by the Chairman of the Committees, Oncology Professor Athanasios - Meletis Dimopoulos.

Only the outpatient clinics will remain open

According to academics, who are responsible for the administration of the two hospitals, the situation is very dangerous for the safe treatment of patients.

However, in a gesture of good will and high medical morale, they ensure that in the coming days they will provide their services normally in the outpatient clinics, examining those who have scheduled appointments.

Staff shortage

Aretaieio has shown staff shortages for a while, like most public hospitals, but in the last two years the problem has grown out of proportion: almost 50% of the permanent positions of nursing and paramedical staff were vacant (about 370). Indeed, in 2009 and for this reason, the administration was forced to reduce the available hospital beds by 40%, particularly in the Surgery and Obstetrics Clinics.

Regarding the fiscal deficit of the hospital, it is estimated at around 2 million per year, which includes medical expenses for the financially weak and needy. One should note however, that at regular intervals in previous years the two hospitals received emergency grants to cover their debts to suppliers, like all NHS hospitals.

The nurses complain about the dismantling of the public health system  

“Defying the long history of the two university hospitals and the desire of their legators to provide health services to our citizens, the Education Ministry is rapidly moving to the reduction of their funding”, said a statement of the National Trade Union Federation of Nursing (PASYNO) of the NHS, adding that this development marks the start of the collapse of the NHS.