Radiologists to refuse scans outside normal working hours

Radiographers operating CT scanners in state hospitals will stop working overtime hours and responding to calls for scans outside normal working hours, they said on Monday.

The newly adopted system will affect the operations of radiology departments during the evening and night hours.

However, scheduled CT scans during morning hours will be performed normally.

“We consider the reinstatement of the measure imperative given the refusal of the finance ministry to approve the agreement reached between the health ministry and the civil servants’ union Pasydy in October 2019, but also due to the inability shown by the state health services organisation Okypy to adopt what we agreed with the ministry and implement it on its own initiative, or to even propose an alternative solution,” the radiographers said.

“Due to repeated postponements in the implementation of what has been agreed, we believe that the whole effort has reached a dead end,” they added.

The radiologists said they themselves in addition to physiotherapists, radiotherapy technologists and occupational therapists have shown responsibility and patience for three years, to no avail.

They apologised to patients who will be affected by the new system, adding that “there was no choice but to implement it given the indifference shown by the state.”