Significant decrease by 66% of outstanding appointments – targeting doctors’ overflow in centers
The recently operational Certificate of Disability Certification (KEPA) in Galatsi is being opened today by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Niki Kerameos, in the context of the wider government planning for the modernization of KEPA and the improvement of our CPAs.
The visit of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Labor marks the government’s political commitment to modernized and citizen -friendly disability centers and transparent procedures that respect the dignity of people with disabilities. Already, the key pillars of the reform effort are in full implementation and are evolving dynamically, with the aim of creating a modern, accessible and reliable system of service to citizens with disabilities.
At the core of the intervention is the enhancement of transparency, speed and reliability of evaluation procedures. To this end, the Ministry of Labor launched the overflow of KEPA doctors and the number of doctors serving has recently increased from 512 to 1,252. At the same time, the strengthening of human resources in neuralgic areas, such as the body of the secretaries and the remodeling of the disciplinary control framework, are being launched, while promoting information actions for therapists, which will contribute to a fruitful and constructive cooperation.
Emphasis is also placed on the digital upgrading of services, with the creation of a single KEPA information system, based on the existing National Disability Portal. In addition, to better serve the citizens, it is foreseen to accelerate the evaluation procedures by redesigning committees, and by utilizing technology, it seeks to accelerate home ratings and automated certification for specific diseases.
The government is also proceeding to improve building infrastructure, with the aim of universal accessibility. A typical example is the relocation of KEPA Piraeus to the Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF) to a fully accessible space to people with disabilities, with upgraded infrastructure and greater availability of staff.
At the level of legislative interventions, improvements in the operational and regulatory framework of the KEPA operational and regulatory framework, aimed at enhancing effectiveness.
The list of irreversible diseases has already expanded, abolishing the need for repeated certification for these diseases. Now, more citizens are guaranteeing the certification of their chronic diseases in the KEPA, without having to constantly pass committees.
At the same time, the continuing upgrading of the single disability rate of determination (EPPA) continues, while solutions are promoted to certify specific diseases without physical presence, where possible, in order to reduce the suffering for citizens and optimize procedures.
With the above interventions, a significant reduction in pending request for appointments has already been achieved. Their number has fallen below 10,000 requests, when, a year ago, the pending requests were over 30,000. This change translates to a reduction of 66.28% of the pending demands for planning.
Correspondingly, there is a 45.39% increase in appointments scheduled for the next two months, with that number exceeding 40,000.