It is unthinkable that KETHEA is government-controlled, emphasizes Mr Stefanos Kasselakis in a post he made on social media, following a meeting he had in the morning with employees, parents and field scientists of KETHEA.

The president of SYRIZA-PS emphasized that he does not practically and morally recognize the president of the Board “who has been appointed by the government”, as, as he said, he does not want to legitimize the “Mitsotakis coup in KETHEA”, pointing out that until 2019 the Board was elected by parents, patients and therapists. As shown in the video accompanying his post, Mr. Kasselakis had a brief confrontation in mild tones with the commander of KETHEA, for whom he states that he appeared at the meeting uninvited. The president of SYRIZA-PS clarified that he has nothing personal with him, but does not recognize him, and asked him to leave in order to listen to the workers. After a short dialogue, the president of KETHEA said that he will leave because he wants to be productive and not divisive, with Mr. Kasselakis saying that “the only thing that is divisive is not listening to society” and him replying that “the government listens to it ». “Yes, I am sure”, commented the president of SYRIZA.

In his post, Mr. Kasselakis states: “Until 2019, parents, patients and therapists elected the unpaid board of KETHEA. Mr. Mitsotakis broke the self-government of KETHEA and appointed his own chairman of the Board. Today I was invited by the workers, parents, field scientists, to listen to the real problems. The commander appeared uninvited to say the government poem: “All is well.” I do not recognize him either practically or morally, I do not legitimize with my presence the Mitsotakis coup at KETHEA”. He also emphasizes that “KETHEA carries out a huge project of drug addiction and social reintegration in our country. It’s unthinkable that it’s government controlled.”

The discussion with the employees

“I’m here to listen to you. In all honesty and humility I say this because I truly believe that as a society we are only as good as our lowest common denominator and it is not possible for us not to help our fellow citizens to be equal citizens in society and leave them second.” , said Stefanos Kasselakis speaking with representatives of the workers, with the scientific staff and with family members, during his visit to the Center for the Treatment of Addicted Persons (KETHEA).

The president of SYRIZA-PS was characteristically told, according to party sources, that “many thousands of our fellow citizens who have benefited from all the treatment and addiction programs, see with pain the “family” that embraced them and showed them the way to life again , to be swept away by the Mitsotakis government, which continues its destructive work in the field of dealing with addictions and reducing the spread of drugs.”

Starting from the case of KETHEA, Mr. Kasselakis said in general about the government’s policy that he has no words to express his anger “for the government’s indifference and insensitivity in this issue, but also in many issues”. In particular, he said: “only from the Minister of the Interior did we hear yesterday – in essence the implication is – that it is okay for Civil Servants to have low salaries, because they get experience in the State. It’s as if you eat “experience” in the evening at the table. We heard from the Minister for Education that it is okay for children to walk kilometers in the snow with a bag on them, from Mr. Georgiadis, about the crime in Tempi, that “who cares anymore?”. For this crime that happened this year, let’s not forget it.”

Regarding the government regulation that is being promoted, the people of KETHEA conveyed to the president of SYRIZA-PS that “the bill “equalizes” the bodies 18 ANO, KETHEA, OKANA, IANOS, ARGO, METHEXIS, and DIAPLOUS, and the decades-long invaluable work them” and that “the regulation provides for the release of the treatment and addiction programs from the NHS framework and the merger of the approved treatment organizations and programs into a “supercarrier” of Private Law”. Then, according to the same sources, they mentioned in the discussion that “the dissolution of the addiction programs started 4 years ago with the Act of Legislative Content which unnecessarily and non-negotiable abolished not only the self-government, but also the autonomy of KETHEA, even in central issues treatment and reintegration policies’. They added that “with the latest developments, it is clear that government policy rejects and nullifies the prospects of ‘dry’ treatment, and clearly favors substitute opioids.” These are substances like methadone, buprenorphine, which bring dizzying profits to the big pharmaceuticals and their networks, at the same time as they maintain the markets – since the users exchange them for heroin or other substances, they do not remove the treated people from the substance use, and according to science they are not suitable for many user profiles.’

As KETHEA employees said, “the government is detaching and abolishing, for the first time since its establishment, ESY units in order to incorporate them into a Legal Entity of Private Law. It chooses to homogenize scientific and therapeutic practices that provide excellent work for tens of thousands of citizens by removing the right to choose treatment.”

Mr. Kasselakis emphasized in particular the attitude of the government towards the issues governing the existence, operation and role of KETHEA, that “here we have the “icing on the cake”. In other words, he said, “we have a policy that abolishes something that, as you say, works for the country. It abolishes scientific practice, healing practice. Abolishes KETHEA, effectively abolishes units of the NSS. It puts in a new bureaucracy. It paves the way for private individuals, instead of allowing the State to work with citizens. It’s a completely different philosophy than ours and you see it everywhere, that’s why I gave you all these examples.”

“I am very saddened to hear that you are finding a wall when you talk to the government,” the SYRIZA president said, declaring that he was on their side without a second thought. “SYRIZA-PS is part of this human embrace that believes that society changes when people change and we thank you very much for welcoming us like this. Know that we will do everything we can do legislatively and of course everything we can do for the visibility of the issue. That’s partly why I’m here. So that you too can feel proud of your children, your families, your partners. That’s what we’re here for,” he said. Because, he added, “humanity means love for one’s fellow man. This is the most Christian value for all those who evangelize a country that follows far-right standards, instead of having this progressive embrace that they should give to the world.” “We are here for you, we are with you, thank you and I urge you to keep a smile as long as you can, because firstly you will need it and secondly you are not alone, you have a whole society by your side and you have the official opposition by your side. We are together,” he emphasized.