A new ministerial decision defines the external employment of university doctors, allowing faculty members and specialized teaching staff to provide medical services to private healthcare providers. The Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD) establishing the terms of employment for faculty members and specialized teaching staff in the private medical sector requires special authorization from the Senate of the respective higher education institution.
What the new JMD provides for university doctors
The JMD was signed by Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Minister Sofia Zacharaki, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, Deputy Education Minister Nikos Papaioannou, and Deputy Health Minister Marios Themistocleous. External employment for university doctors had been a long-standing demand, as faculty members under the previous system could not provide medical services in the private sector.
Terms and conditions of employment
The JMD clearly defines for the first time the terms, conditions and procedures governing the external employment of university physicians. It promotes transparency, institutional responsibility and safeguarding of the public interest.
Faculty members and specialized teaching staff who are doctors may provide services to:
• Private clinics
• Diagnostic and therapeutic laboratories
• Other private healthcare providers
The provision of these services is not permitted under an employment relationship, ensuring the academic independence of university doctors.
“Breakthrough in cooperation between public universities and private sector in critical healthcare area”
Deputy Education Minister Nikos Papaioannou emphasized: “This JMD marks a significant breakthrough in organized cooperation between public universities and the private sector in the critical area of healthcare.” “With this decision, we end chronic ambiguities and create a clear, institutional and transparent framework for the external employment of university physicians. We simultaneously ensure their full response to their academic and hospital obligations, while enabling them to utilize their scientific training in the private sector, for the benefit of society as a whole,” he concluded.
