Health Ministry under fire as deadly flu virus spreads
The Health Ministry has come under fire for allegedly trying to cover up the shortcomings of the country’s health system and for failing to acknowledge the seriousness of the flu virus which has so far claimed dozens of lives.
“With the number of deaths reaching 39 and growing, the Health Ministry has proven to be completely unprepared to deal with the virus and to inform the public,” New Democracy’s shadow health minister Vassilis Oikonomou said on Friday.
He refuted the ministry’s claim that there is an adequate supply of flu shots and also highlighted staff shortages.
Meanwhile, the national union of public hospital workers (POEDIN) said that available vaccines cover only 25 percent of hospital staff requirements. It said that the 20,000 free vaccines procured by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) for the purpose of vaccinating hospital staff are not enough to cover the needs of the approximately 90,000 workers around the country.
