12 New Staff Positions Approved for Lefkada Hospital

Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food of Greece and Member of Parliament for Lefkada, Thanasis Kavvadas, met with Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis to discuss the staff shortages faced by Lefkada Hospital. During this strategic summit, the issue of taking steps to strengthen the island's basic health infrastructure and resolve the hospital staff shortage was brought to the agenda. As a result of the discussions, the creation of 12 new support staff positions was officially approved in order to increase staff employment in critical areas such as nursing and administration. These new employment opportunities are expected to directly increase the quality of healthcare services in the region and significantly ease the operational capacity of the hospital. Authorities stated that they are emphasizing the prompt filling of these positions so that the local population and tourists visiting the island can receive better healthcare services.

The approved 12 new positions are planned to be distributed to different and vital departments of the hospital. Among the newly opened positions are one senior nurse, six administratively supported nurses, one midwife, and one medical laboratory technician. Additionally, to ensure faster execution of the hospital's bureaucratic and financial processes, it is envisaged that one senior, one technical, and one administrative support staff will be hired for the administrative and economic services departments. This diverse employment plan aims to strengthen not only the medical intervention side of the hospital but also its background operations. Authorities stated that the distribution of these positions is shaped according to the most urgent needs on the ground. Thus, it is aimed to alleviate the long-standing workload and staff fatigue problems at the hospital.

Along with the recruitment of hospital staff, the status of 9 permanent doctor positions opened for Lefkada Hospital was also brought to the table during this important meeting. According to the evaluations made, it was determined that candidates from five different specialties have so far shown interest in these doctor announcements. It was reported that applications were received and processes were underway for the departments of pulmonology, surgery, medical biopathology, obstetrics, and ear, nose, and throat. On the other hand, it was stated that unfortunately, no candidates applied for the four positions opened for cardiology, hematology, and two nephrology specialties, and these positions remain vacant. This situation points to a common problem of public hospitals on the island or in coastal areas that particularly struggle to find specialist doctors.

Despite some of the permanent doctor positions remaining vacant, the hospital management and the Ministry of Health did not hesitate to produce temporary solutions in some critical departments. In this context, it was announced that a collaboration was initiated with a nephrology specialist to meet the increasing patient need of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit and the parallel functioning Artificial Kidney Unit. Furthermore, it was reported that a positive opinion was obtained from the Ministry of Health for the acquisition of a new computed tomography (CT) device, which will significantly increase the hospital's diagnostic capacity and revolutionize imaging services. It was stated that a budget of approximately 804,000 Euros was allocated for the purchase of the said device, and this investment will modernize the medical technology infrastructure on the island. For the recruitment of support and nursing staff in public health institutions, it was announced that the application process will remain open until July 15, 2026.

Lefkada MP Kavvadas, making statements regarding the matter, emphasized that strengthening Lefkada Hospital constitutes a continuous priority for them. Stating that thanks to the close cooperation with the Minister of Health, staff shortages are being addressed and healthcare services provided on the island are improving step by step, he expressed that the public and visitors will benefit from these developments. He underlined that steps such as the approval of new staff positions, finding candidates for some doctor positions, and the acquisition of the new tomography device are very valuable progress. The MP also added that the struggle and efforts for the unfilled permanent doctor positions continue at full speed, and they are working to ensure the hospital achieves a complete staff in all departments. He noted that their ultimate goal is to create a fully equipped hospital infrastructure that can fully and qualitatively respond to all kinds of healthcare needs of the Lefkada local community.