First suspension notices delivered to Greek public sector healthcare staff who aren’t vaccinated for Covid-19

The federation representing employees at public hospitals in Greece (POEDHN) on Wednesday announced that the first suspension notices have been delivered to healthcare professionals who refuse to get a Covid-19 vaccination.

Later media reports put the exact figure at 5,895 suspension of work notices, with roughly 1,500 more prepared for staff members in primary health facilities (clinics) and other related sectors.

Roughly 15,000 healthcare staff members in the public sector, including physicians, have not received a Covid-19 vaccination.

The deadline for healthcare staff to get “jabs”, assuming they are not exempt due to verifiable health reasons, expired on Tuesday.

The Mitsotakis government has adopted a “carrot and stick” approach to try and get more people in the country vaccinated, with the figure for fully vaccinated individuals now standing at 53.5 percent amid a population of roughly 11 million. In terms of heathcare professionals, however, the scale has tipped significantly in favor of the “stick”.

On its part, the federation’s leadership has demanded that the measure of obligatory vaccinations be scrapped, while at the same time advising its members to get the specific inoculation.

In a related development, the Council of State (CoS), Greece’s highest administrative court, on Wednesday rejected a motion filed by healthcare employees requesting a postponement of the deadline for Covid-19 vaccination.