The Municipal Council of Nea Propontis expressed its support for the Medical Association of Chalkidiki with a resolution, requesting immediate support for the Pediatric – Neonatology Department of the General Hospital of Chalkidiki, in view of the peak of the summer tourist season.
As underlined in the relevant letter from the Medical Association, the summer season entails an exponential increase in the population of the region, from approximately 110,000 permanent residents to over 1,000,000 people, including visitors to the regions of Chalkidiki. The health staff of the Halkidiki Hospital and related structures are called upon to respond to this population, despite already being understaffed by at least 30%.
According to the letter, the situation in the Pediatric – Neonatology Department appears to be particularly burdened, where doctors manage emergency cases not only from the local population but also from tourist areas and camps, often without a medical history. Indicatively, cases of drowning, injuries, infections and crises of chronic diseases are reported, which further burden the operation of the department.
As noted, the provision of safe on-call coverage is jeopardized when the only available pediatrician needs to accompany the transfer of a serious case to a tertiary hospital in Thessaloniki, leaving the Hospital without pediatric coverage. The constant overwork of serving pediatricians discourages the expression of interest for the advertised positions, perpetuating the problem.
The Medical Association of Halkidiki and the Municipality of Nea Propontida call for the immediate reinforcement of the Department, by every appropriate means – such as temporary recruitment and staffing with auxiliary physicians – pointing out that temporary solutions, such as the transfer of doctors from Health Centers, are neither sustainable nor sufficient.
The issue of understaffing of public health structures in tourist areas is constantly highlighted every summer, bringing to the fore the need for permanent solutions that respond to the real population needs and the seasonal burden on the National Health System.
