Battle royal between government, SYRIZA over ‘VIP ICU beds’ charges

A battle royal has broken out between the government and main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras over the charges of the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers, Michalis Giannakos, that some hospital beds have been set aside for VIPs, even as other intubated COVID-19 patients are being treated outside ICUs, waiting their turn on the prioritised waiting lists.

Government spokesman Yannis Economou lashed out at Tsipras over two tweets yesterday of the opposition leader that appeared to tacitly adopt the allegations of the trade unionist.

"With his post [tweet] last night - which is accompanied by the nauseating hashtag #vipICUs - Mr Tsipras committed a huge political and moral error, essentially adopting the abominations of Mr. Giannakos, which are rejected by the medical community, and which are denied, to his credit, by SYRIZA's shadow health minister [Andreas Xanthos]," Economou declared.

"Mr. Tsipras is obliged to cite even one doctor who decided who would be admitted to an ICU based on a political order. If he does not recant immediately, he will prove that slander and vulgarity is the only kind of opposition he has left," Economou added.

Xanthos' parliamentary question on ICU beds for VIPs

This afternoon, following the uproar and reactions in his party, Xanthos tabled a parliamentary question on the issue.

"Explanations should be offered regarding intubated [COVID-19] patients [being treated] outside of ICUs, and regarding the "shadows" cast on the management of the waiting list and the criteria for determining the prioritisation of admission to ICUs," was the stated subject of the question in the heading.

Tsipras' tweets

Tsipras posted two tweets...

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