Hospital pathology clinic remains understaffed

Corfu Hospital pathology clinic remains understaffed, as it has been left with only two doctors. For the past month, a pathologist from Igoumenitsa has been transferred to cover the shifts.

According to the hospital administration, the positions of pathologist, anaesthetist, and ENT specialist have already been advertised under last year's Ministry of Health regulation, which established incentives of 1,800 euros per month in addition to the salary for each doctor who relocates to an island for the summer season. The Ministry adopted this solution last year to address staffing issues on the islands, aiming to meet the increased demands created due to tourism.

This allowance is expected to increase by 300 euros through a legislative provision that will be submitted to Parliament in the near future. As stated by the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, in the first meeting of the Cabinet following the European elections, in addition to granting an allowance of 2,100 euros, there will be other incentives, including the provision of free housing by municipalities and the possibility for interested doctors to undertake private practice concurrently.

Municipalities lack the resources

The island's municipalities, hoever, have expressed their inability to respond due to a lack of resources. "The Municipality of Central Corfu does not have the means to support the housing of doctors with any funds," stated the Deputy Mayor for Social Protection and Welfare, Christos Skourtis. "We first need to find the money. The same applies to municipal buildings, as they need repairs. We must first find a financing tool to be able to repair them."

Deputy Mayor of Everyday Life for North Corfu, Nikos Mouzakitis, said that this is yet another responsibility that the central authority is delegating to the municipalities without providing the necessary resources. "The municipal buildings need refurbishment. Some were used last year when the fire broke out, but they are not suitable for permanent housing. Also, due to the distance, I don't know how convenient it is for a doctor who will be working at the hospital to stay in North Corfu."

Continuing lack of response to job advertisements

However, even last year, the financial incentive of 1,800 euros in addition to the salary did not yield significant results, as members of the Public Health System Doctors Union told Enimerosi, adding that neither will the measure of the additional 300 euros announced by Mr. Georgiadis be effective.

They said that the lack of response to the job advertisements has been the biggest obstacle, as Corfu has never been considered an attractive professional destination for healthcare personnel. It was included in Zone A Problematic Areas with the provision of incentives, following continuous appeals by the doctors and the island's three MPs; however, the problem does not seem to have been resolved. The high cost of living combined with the difficulty of finding housing, as well as the hardship allowance, which has not been updated since 1983, serve as deterrents for a doctor to come to the island to live with their family, the President of the Public Health System Doctors Union, Nikos Polyzos, told Enimerosi.

"In each clinic, there should normally be three doctors. Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, and Surgery are covered, but Pathology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, and the Dialysis Unit are operating below the three-doctor threshold. Incentives for problematic zones need to be implemented with current values to attract doctors," he stated.

The total number of permanent positions at the hospital, including the Mental Health Centre, is 152. According to official May data, the number of serving permanent doctors was 69, and the number of auxiliary doctors was 24.

Solutions for Doctors' Housing from Corfu Hospital

The housing issue for doctors is a major concern for the hospital administration, which sees this shortfall as a significant deterrent to filling the vacant positions. For this reason, the administration has initiated the renovation of an old hospital building on Kolokotroni Street, where seven apartments will be created. The project has been contracted with funding from the Recovery Fund. However, these apartments will be ready for use next year.

MARIA BAZDRIYIANNI