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Vacancies in the public hospitals will now be filled with the relocation of workers in the health care system. The transfer of staff will be carried out between the hospitals that have a common management, as provided by the final decisions of the Ministry of Health for the mergers in the health care system. As the Health Minister Andreas Loverdos stated yesterday, "Joining forces means the total cooperation of hospitals at all levels. It is not possible for hospitals which share a wall not to help one another: it is not possible for example, "Agia Sofia" to have a problem in the grid and the electrician of the adjacent hospital not to fix it."

Yesterday the Minister of Health presented the final decisions on restructuring the health care system, speaking of "new measures in the national health care system, which along with the completion of the mergers of clinics and laboratories at the end of August will look completely different." He explained that no institution will be closed and that there will be no layoffs. In particular, according to final decisions:

The 175 directors and deputy directors, who are currently employed in the healthcare system will become 144. In particular, the directors will be reduced from 131 to 77.

The 46,873 hospital bed spaces will became 35,815. Mr. Loverdos did not exclude the possibility of course for the number of beds to be reduced further due to the mergers of clinics that will be announced next week.

The use of 8 hospitals will be changed. These are hospitals that have merged with larger ones, and according to Mr. Loverdos, they latter ones will decide "the fate" of the smaller ones.

For 6 hospitals it has been decided to enter into a mode of cooperation. As Health Minister explained, these hospitals will cooperate in the field of science. So for instance, the hospital "Onasio" can maintain cooperation in the field of science with the hospital "Attica" in Haidari, "Dzanio" with the hospital "Metaxa", the hospital of the island of Rhodes with that in Leros, etc.

Deputy Minister of Health Michalis Timosidis stressed that through a joint management "the system will fill the gaps that exist today." He added that the system is already measurable and can be characterized. As Mr. Loverdos also said the appraisal of directors of the healthcare system will start immediately, the necessary qualities will be determined and an evaluation will be done. "We got a health system with generals but without troops", said the Health care Minister.

Appraisal
The Secretary General Nikos Polizos said that "by the end of the year we will be able to evaluate everything." According to the data he presented, the new structure of the health care system provides for 82 major hospitals and 49 associated with them, about 36,000 hospital bed spaces, 1,700 clinics and 800 laboratories. The immediate reaction of the President of the Federation of the Hospital doctors’ Unions in Greece Dimitris Varnavas followed, who said: "Having in mind the 30% increase in the visits of patients in state hospitals, it is imperative to immediately open all hospital bed spaces that have been closed now due to the dramatic lack of staff. On the contrary, Mr. Loverdos blindly obeying the orders of the Troika, today announced the closure of 11 000 beds based on falsified data and statistical alchemy". President of the Athens Medical Association Patulis George stressed that " when it comes to such large hospital structures the 'giant' managements are impossible to function as daily control can not be done."

Changes in the hospitals

• Hospital "Evangelizmos" acquires a common management with the ocular clinic, the polyclinic and the third hospital of the National Insurance Institute.
• Hospital "Sotiria" – with the hospital "G. Genimatas" and the General State Hospital in Nikea – with the hospital," Agia Varvara".
• Hospital Veria – with the one in Naousa, the hospital "Genimatas" in Thessaloniki – with the hospital "Agios Dimitrios" and the AHEPA hospital - a with hospital for special disorders - Thessaloniki.
• Larissa University Hospital – with the Regional Hospital Larissa, the hospital in Lamia – with the one in Karpenisi and Amfissa and the hospital in Agrinio – with the one in Mesolongi.
• Pyrgos hospital – with the one in Amaliada and Krestenon. On the island of Crete the Hospital "Agios Nikolaos" – with those in Ierapetra, Sitia and Neapoli.