The Deputy Minister of Health, Marios Themistocleous, spoke on the “Society Hour MEGA” show on Thursday morning (11/6), referring to the new program palliative care for patients with serious illnesses.
As he explained, palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life of patients with oncological, neurological or end-stage heart failure through the management of symptoms and pain, but also the provision of psychological, social and spiritual support.
As the Deputy Minister pointed out, our country was lagging behind in this area and that a strategic map is now being created with palliative care units, either in specialized centres, within hospitals or at home. Furthermore, he also referred to the Galilaia facility as a model and the need for 500 beds nationwide, with projections for the new Oncology Thessaloniki Hospital (40 beds) and the Pediatric Hospital (4 beds).
The first palliative care units are expected to be operational in 11 months, with specific provision for new recruitment of health care staff. “There will be recruitment. In the medical staff and other specialties, medical staff some will be fully qualified, with this exclusive. Some other doctors in the hospital will have been trained in the specialty of palliative care to be able to provide it. As is done in other hospitals in the European Union, but nursing staff and other specialties will be separate, and they will be additional recruits,” he said.
At the same time, 21 autism and 19 dementia units are expected to be set up across the country, which will operate as day centres with extended hours, offering holistic care and linkage with other services, while a major psychiatric reform is coming with new units, as well as reinforcement with mobile units, which are expected to be operational from October.
As for the staffing of hospitals, he said that “there is a big advertisement for 1,131 posts in the air, one of the biggest advertisements in recent years. There is strong interest, the islands will be staffed with doctors.”
