The Pallasithio rally is in progress for public health on the Northern Road Axis of Crete, in Selinari, while today the public and private sector is paralyzed in the cities of Lasithi prefecture.

About at 12.00 noon the gathered proceeded to close the National Road in both traffic streams.
Three large pre-gatherings took place in Agios Nikolaos, Neapolis and Sitia.

The central demand of the mobilization is the support, with the recruitment of medical and other staff, of the hospitals and health units of the regional unity.

It should be noted that the mobilization is attended by a large number of people as well as representatives of agencies. Among others at the rally were the Metropolitan of Petra and Herronissou, Mr. Gerasimos, the Metropolitan of Ierapytni and Sitia Kyrillos, the president of the Regional Council of Crete, Vangelis Zaharis, the Mayor of Agios Nikolaos, Manolis Menegakis and others.

Selinari Street

“Let Lasithi cease to be the child of Greece” underlined – among others, in his statements the Metropolitan of Ierapytni and Sitia Kyrillos, while in a unanimous resolution the Municipal Council of Sitia states:

“The continuous degradation of the national health system results in the rapid understaffing of the prefecture’s hospitals in medical, nursing and other personnel.

The establishment and full operation of the three hospitals of the prefecture resulted from the need to serve the three urban centers, the lack of connection to a modern road network and to serve not only the residents of the prefecture of Lasithi, but also the thousands of visitors during the summer season, the neighbors to the Crete of the Dodecanese islands and the hundreds of foreign land workers employed in the primary sector.

The provision of health services is the responsibility of the state and is a sacred obligation and not a luxury or necessity. The supreme good of health is non-negotiable for everyone and in this period the credibility of the government is being tested.

The Mayor and the municipal council stand by and we will participate in the Pallasithio rally, contributing to the facilitation of the movement of the fellow citizens and the staff of the municipality, with the provision of three buses and we invite all the fellow citizens to participate en masse in the rally on March 28 and together we will claim :

The repeal of the laws that dissolve and privatize the NHS and the reversal of every move to change the health map with hospital downgrades and new mergers.

The protection of all hospitals in the prefecture, their staffing according to their operating organizations with mass recruitment of staff and the permanence of contract holders.

The administrative autonomy and abolition of the unification of the prefecture’s hospitals and their return to the pre-2012 administration regime.

Providing incentives to barren and troubled areas.

The implementation of the Rehabilitation Center in Neapolis and the protection of addiction structures and KETHEA

The improvement of the salary and working conditions of doctors and other employees in hospitals (salary increases, tax reliefs, abolition of “employees” and grueling working conditions) in order to stop the wave of resignations and create a climate to attract new doctors and workers to the NHS , so that most announcements do not end up barren”.