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Athens: Man ousted from operation table because he was uninsured
Everything was ready for the heart operation to begin: the patient’s chest was shaved, doctors and nurses were on alert. Then suddenly an clerk from the hospital accounts office walked in and ordered the doctors to stop the procedure because the patient was uninsured and had not provide a welfare booklet proving he was poor.
This incredible incident was published by the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Elliniko in south Athens, that provides free medical assistance to the unemployed and poor citizens with no social security or very little income.
The patient is a 54-year-old man without job and insurance. He suffers from a serious heart problem, his life is at risk. The doctors at Athens’ biggest public hospital Evaggelismos were about to insert a cardiovascular-defibrillator to save his life. With the help of social services the patient was admitted to the hospital, the doctors had managed to convince the accounts office to accept his official declaration that he would soon provide the welfare booklet normally issued by the welfare departments in municipalities.
But the accounts controller was more powerful. He interrupted the procedure and the Metropolitan Clinic made the case public complaining about the unprecedented boldness of a clerk marching right inside the operation room. “Bureaucracy cannot set the life of a patient in danger,” the clinic said in a statement critizing the delay in issuing the welfare booklet.
The news spread through the Greek internet like a wild fire.
On Wednesday morning, the Metropolitan Community Clinic announced that it was informed by the patient that he would undergo the operation on Thursday.
In Greece of loan agreement, of high unemployment and 3 million people without insurance, in Greece of health care cuts, a patient has to go public to get a filings of care. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis has been claiming that he applied hospital and prescription fees so that uninsured patients get medical care – in his dreams…
The end of public health care for both insured and uninsured patients
In Greece of cuts and savings, an insured patient has to wait for 4 long months to undergo a medical examination at a public hospital.
The examination that has a total cost of 90 euro: the patient pays 15 euro contribution, the health care system EOPPY pays 75 euro.
If the patient needs the examination urgently -which is normally the case-, the hospital advices him to go visit a specialist doctor in the afternoon services of the hospital and get the approval- although the patients already holds an official doctor’s paper with reference to the medical check.
But the patient has to pay 70 euro for his visit to specialist plus the 15 euro contribution when he undergoes the check.
In contrast: in a private hospital assigned with the Greek health care system (EOPYY) the patient pays just the 15 euro of his contribution plus 40 euro for a local anesthesia. He can get an appointment within 2-3 days, for the total price of 55 euro – if he can afford that.
By delaying appointments for medical tests and checks, the health minister pushes the patients to private clinics and hospitals and can claim everything works like a clock in public hospitals.
If the patients cannot afford the prices or the delays… that’s their problem.
Source: http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2014/05/14/athens-man-ousted-from-operation-table-because-he-was-uninsured/
