ATHENS – A decision by the University of Athens Medical School to stop treating COVID-19 patients as the pandemic re-surges has drawn fire from the government and doctors.

The Athens-Piraeus Hospital Doctors Association (EINAP) condemned the decision that will bar Coronavirus patients from university clinics, which means they will have to go to the National Health System (ESY) clinics, said Kathimerini.

No reason was given why the university clinics would no longer accept the COVID patients but in a letter to Health Minister Thanos Plevris, who has no experience in the field, EINAP said it was  “an act of unilateral desertion from the fight against the pandemic which does not honor university doctors at all.”

EINAP called on the the Athens Medical School “to immediately revoke this unacceptable decision,” which, it added, ultimately “promotes the full privatization” of public healthcare. There was no response from the school.

University Hospitals and Clinical Departments offer specialized health services to the public and are major contributors to medical education and clinical research although the medical school ranks only 1,056th in world rankings.

Clinical Departments play a key role in medical education and clinical research. From the 72 University clinical departments, the ones belonging to the School of Medicine and the Department of Nursing operate in major hospitals of Athens, like Attikon, Evangelismos, Hippokrateion, Laikon, while the clinics of the Department of Dentistry operate in the Department's premises. 

Some 40 percent of the medical requirements of the Public Health System (NSS) in the Attica basin (about 5,000,000 residents) are covered by the NKUA University Clinics, the school said.

Greece facing a potential fourth wave of the Coronavirus in the autumn because there are so many people refusing to be vaccinated, wear masks, keep safe social distances and not being tested to see if they are infected and spreading the disease across the country.