Holiday leave of healthcare workers suspended as of Sept 1
Greece’s Health Ministry announced on Wednesday it was suspending the holiday leave for all healthcare workers as of September to prepare for possible gaps left from unvaccinated staff who will be sent on unpaid leave.
The ministry also wants to boost the public healthcare system in view of the expected jump in hospitalizations in the fall due to Covid-19.
The directive concerns staff working in state-run hospitals and clinics, the EKAV ambulance service, primary health care facilities and the National Organization for Public Health (EODY).
To minimize the risk of contagion in the healthcare system, the ministry introduced an amendment in July according to which unvaccinated workers will remain on unpaid leave during which they will also lose their social security.
The mandatory inoculation concerns medical, paramedical, nursing, administrative and support staff in hospitals, as well as private, public and municipal care facilities for the elderly and people with disabilities.
The unpaid leave will last “as long as the pandemic,” the ministry said in July.
