Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias repeated his appeal for private doctors to volunteer to help public hospitals cope with the burden of escalating coronavirus cases.
So far, only 60 doctors have answered the minister’s appeal, instead of the 200 needed, as a minimum.
“I cannot imagine any of my doctor colleagues, who have sworn the Oath of Hippocrates, not wanting to volunteer,” Kikilias, himself an orthopedic surgeon, said during his visit to the General Hospital of Athens 'Georgios Gennimatas'.
“We always have cooperation as a first step. Because, you understand, mobilization has a strong legal basis, but when we ask a doctor to volunteer his services, it is not enough to issue orders. We must also inspire [them] to do it. But, if I need to use this ultimate constitutional instrument at my disposal, that of of requisitioning personal services, I will do it,” Mitsotakis said in an interview with To Vima.
Latest covid-19 numbers in Greece
Greece recorded 1,514 new cases of COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
This raises the total number of cases to 237,125.
Six hundred and seventy-four individuals are in ICU. Their median age is 68 years. 81% have an underlying condition or are aged 70 years and above.
The number of new Covid-19 patients in hospitals in the last 24 hours is 512, while the average of hospital admissions in the last seven days is 481 patients.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,577 patients have been discharged from the ICU.
The country’s pandemic death toll stands at 7,462. The median age of all was 79 years and 95.9% of the deceased had an underlying condition and/or age of 70 years or more.
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