The KoHOM association of family doctors on Friday dismissed Minister Vili Beros's statement about their inefficient engagement as absolutely unacceptable.

It countered that such statements of the health minister were aimed at seeking a scapegoat for the accumulated problems in the healthcare administration.

“Since the onset of the Covid-19 epidemic, family practitioners have been conducting their job conscientiously and thoroughly and they cannot accept to be used as an alibi for the ineptitude of the healthcare administration,” the association said.

On Thursday, the minister called on primary care physicians to remain in their offices a half hour or an hour longer to help tracing the contacts of Covid patients, explaining that the tracing of the contacts is one of the most efficient measures in curbing the spread of coronavirus.

He said that he had received many reports in which people have been complaining that GPs fail to contact their patients who have tested positive, underscoring that all the professionals in the healthcare system are supposed to do their utmost in this regard, since 160 epidemiologists cannot work without help of others.

This prompted the association to say today that family practitioners have never refused to help epidemiologists and that they are aware of the difficult situation.

Therefore, GPs have been also on duty in the so-called Covid first aid centres. Furthermore, they have make appointments for testing of their patients who are believed to have caught coronavirus, and phone them to inform them about the results of testing and give them advice, the KaHOM said adding that GPs have taken over the duty to administer flu jabs this season.