Doctors’ associations demand proper meals for health center doctors

The Medical Associations of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and Serres have issued a joint statement strongly criticizing the 4th Regional Health Authority (4th RHA) over the failure to provide meals for doctors working at health centers.

The associations called for an immediate, dignified and adequate solution, arguing that doctors working in difficult conditions and long hours should not have to rely on sponsorship from local municipalities for basic needs such as food.

Doctors’ associations criticize reliance on municipal sponsorships
The presidents of the medical associations said they were deeply concerned and frustrated by the 4th RHA’s handling of the issue.

According to their statement, the authority has failed to ensure meals for health center doctors and has not required health center directors to seek sponsorship from municipalities as a solution.

The associations argued that doctors who work demanding shifts, often far from their permanent places of residence, should not be treated as an expense or be forced to depend on local government sponsorships.

Feeding doctors is only the “tip of the iceberg”
The associations said the problem of providing meals is part of a much wider set of challenges facing Greece’s public healthcare system.

They pointed to chronic understaffing, professional burnout, shortages of infrastructure and equipment, and the frequent transfer of health center doctors to hospitals to cover staffing needs.

They also criticized what they described as the broader deterioration of working conditions for doctors and insufficient public spending to substantially strengthen the National Health System (ESY).

Call for immediate action from the 4th Health Authority
The medical associations called on the 4th RHA to assume responsibility and ensure adequate, sufficient and high-quality meals for doctors working at health centers without transferring responsibility to third parties.

“The dignity of doctors is not a matter for sponsorships, nor is it an issue to be arranged,” the associations said, stressing that supporting healthcare professionals is a responsibility of the state.

They argued that the government has an obligation to provide practical support to the professionals who keep primary healthcare services operating.

Medical associations from six areas sign statement
The joint statement was signed by the presidents of the medical associations of Kavala, Drama, İskeçe, Rodopi, Meriç and Serres.

The signatories are Anastasia Antoniou, president of the Kavala Medical Association; Christos Bakopoulos, president of the Drama Medical Association; Ioannis Spanopoulos, president of the İskeçe Medical Association; Konstantinos Charitopoulos, president of the Rodopi Medical Association; Christos Chatzipapas, president of the Meriç Medical Association; and Angelos Dampalis, president of the Serres Medical Association.