Doctors concerned over Okypy finances

State doctors’ union Pasyki expressed concerns on Monday regarding the finances of state health services organisation Okypy.

They said that while the extension of government grants to cover Okypy’s budget deficits is not in and of itself a cause for major concern, they would like to raise the question “of whether one year is enough for Okypy to balance its finances and become financially independent.”

They asked, “how can we be complacent about the fate of public hospitals under the existing management model when they had to ask for the release of more than €1 million for the purchase of medical services from private individual needs?”

Additionally, they expressed their concern regarding the fate of public hospitals if plans drawn up by the government to balance Okypy’s finances “do not work”.

“Public hospitals would then cease to ensure the smooth functioning of the country’s health system, given that Okypy is one of the most important providers of health services,” they said.

Parliament had on Thursday voted to extend its provisions to cover Okypy’s budget deficits until May 31, 2025.

Earlier last week, the government said it had decided to keep covering Okypy’s deficits to secure the “public interest”, given that the organisation is a core provider within Gesy.