The staffing of the National Health System, new recruitments and incentives for the coverage of island and inaccessible areas, was mentioned by Deputy Minister of Health, Marios Themistokleous, speaking on ALPHA radio.
He said that “for 2026, there are 5,000 permanent recruitments and 3,000 recruitments of auxiliary staff”. At the same time, he noted that a few days ago the platform for 1,696 permanent staff positions for the 2025 planning was closed, while the platform for auxiliary staff in Athens and the country’s major urban centres was also closed.
As for the 850 medical staff positions, he said that the last procedures are being completed and that the notice is expected to be published in the first days of April, covering the entire country and not just Attica.
Themistocleous also placed particular emphasis on the speed of the procedures, noting that following the changes made to the legislative framework over the past two years, the recruitment of permanent staff is now being carried out in the fastest way ever. As he explained, the average time from advertisement to completion of the procedure is 4 months, while in extremely urgent cases, such as for example the filling of an anaesthesiologist’s position, it can even reach 2 months.
The Deputy Minister noted that every year, during this period, special planning is done for tourist destinations, islands and regions that are heavily burdened during the summer months and have an increased need for medical personnel. He said, “Last year was better than the previous year, as targeted incentives were given, several permanent posts were advertised and staff were moved from other parts of the country.”
He particularly emphasized the fact that each doctor’s movement is accompanied by additional financial support, in addition to the salary. He referred to the significant contribution of the Stelios Hadjiyannou Foundation’s donation, which provides for an additional 1,500 euros net per month, in addition to the salary, for doctors who will serve on 47 small islands with a population of less than 4,000 inhabitants. As he explained, the measure concerns 80 doctors, while the total aid for a doctor who will stay for all seven years is 126,000 euros net.
