Hard work, no incentives
Ioannis Papadatos, director of intensive care at Aglaia Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, outlines the state of children’s IC wards. «There are 36 pediatric IC beds in Greece, of which 24 are in Attica (8 at Aglaia Kyriakou, 10 at Aghia Sofia, and six at Paidon Pendeli), six in Thessaloniki and six in Iraklion, Crete,» says Papadatos. «In Attica, these beds cover the needs of patients. Every year 200 children receive IC care at Aglaia Kyriakou. But other parts of the country are poorly served and, in some cases, children, needing IC care go to adult IC wards. «PNOH-Friends of Children’s Intensive Care, which is responsible for the creation of the IC ward in Iraklion, wants to donate an IC ward to Patras University Hospital. PNOH has already received approval for the donation from the Health Ministry and the unit should be ready within two years. Similar efforts are underway at the university hospitals of Ioannina and Alexandroupolis.» Papadatos notes the fatigue suffered by IC staff doing frequent shifts in a stressful environment, and their need for economic incentives. There is no salary gradation: An IC specialist receives the same salary as a cytologist, even though his or her work requires daylong vigilance over many shifts.
