ATHENS – [ANA-MPA] [Photo: GANP/ Dimitrios Panagos]
The Municipality of Rhodes will provide about €385,000 over three years in financial incentives to attract doctors to the island’s General Hospital of Rhodes “Andreas G. Papandreou”, under an agreement signed by Mayor Alexandros Koliadis and hospital governor Nikos Karamaritis.
The municipality will provide about €128,400 annually, with the initial plan covering eight doctors: three internal medicine specialists, two surgeons, one radiologist, one intensive care specialist and one interventional cardiologist. The specialties may be adjusted according to the hospital’s staffing needs.
Koliadis said healthcare was a top priority and described the initiative as a first step, adding that the municipality could provide further financial support if the incentives prove effective.
Karamaritis said the existing legal framework did not allow the hospital to offer doctors higher pay than stipulated, making support from local authorities and other local bodies necessary.
The agreement also provides for a €300 financial allowance for resident doctors who choose to undertake their specialist training on Rhodes.
The hospital’s Emergency Department handles about 300 cases a day during the summer, while the facility also serves patients from other islands in the Dodecanese.
Medical associations, hospitals and regional health authorities are expected to be informed of the initiative immediately, while doctors have already expressed interest in working on Rhodes.
