Thousands Of Greek Healthcare Workers Suspended For Not Getting Vaccine

The Greek Ministry of Health has revealed that 5,895 hospital workers who were either not fully vaccinated or declined to take the covid shot, have been suspended.

In July, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that all healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, who work in public and private hospitals and health clinics would be required to get their shot by the first of September.

However on Thursday he Greek government announced that they would be give the healthcare workers who had been suspended a second chance, that they could return to work if they got their first covid jab

Breirbart reports: The total number of suspensions include those issued and those in the process of being issued, as Greece now requires all healthcare workers to have at least one vaccine shot, despite appeals from healthcare workers to reject the mandatory vaccine.

“Vaccination is imposed for reasons of protection of public health from the spread of the coronavirus to the hospitalised who are a particularly vulnerable group,” the Greek Council of State said after rejecting the healthcare worker’s appeal, Proto Thema reports.

Greek healthcare staff have until September 1st to be fully vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus or face indefinite suspension from their jobs. https://t.co/7V0pLG08Ur

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 7, 2021

On Thursday, the Greek government announced it would be giving healthcare workers who had been suspended a second chance to get the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine.

Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris said: “Mandatory vaccination for the workers of the NHS (National Health System) was legislated to help to safeguard public health.”

“Since we do not intend to punish [people], we will introduce an amendment,” Plevris added.

The amendment will allow healthcare workers to return to work if they take the first vaccine dose in the coming days.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, hundreds of healthcare workers staged a five-hour protest in Athens and other Greek cities.

According to a labour union official, as many as 10,000 hospital workers could face suspension for not taking the vaccine, which could impact the ability of hospitals to keep up with incoming patients and give adequate, timely treatment.

Mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers have also been proposed and rolled out in other European countries, such as France, where some healthcare workers also expressed hesitancy.