Andreas Panagiotopoulos, head of the Health Department of SYRIZA – PS Andreas Panagiotopoulos, comments on what took place during duty hours at the Red Cross hospital, with the video that came to the public showing employees and the administrator of the hospital dancing.

It is recalled that an EDE was ordered against the administrator of the Hospital for a certificate of misconduct that falls under the provisions of article 107, par. 1, subsection (b) and (e) of Law 3528/2007 (Government Gazette A΄-26) “Public Policy Status Code Administrative Officers and Employees of the N.P.D.D

Mr. Panagiotopoulos reports in detail

“The news leaked a few hours ago, as well as a supporting and proof video, that a few days before Christmas the Administration of the Athens General Hospital “Korgialenio-Benakio” E.E.S. decided to hold a Christmas party inside the hospital building, specifically in the reception area of ​​the central building, and during its working hours, and even during duty hours.

The sight of the diapasos music, the live orchestra (!) but also the Conductor Mrs. Elpinikis Tavianatou leading after the heat of the dance, while a few meters behind a stretcher with a patient passes by, encloses the whole Greece 2.0 of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Most obviously, after the uproar and the outcry, the Minister of Health ordered an urgent Sworn Administrative Examination (SAR) against Mrs. Tavianatos, who is a party appointment of the government and does not meet any objective criteria for selection in a position of responsibility for managing a health unit, especially a secondary one. as Mrs. Tavianatou is just a civil servant of the Ministry of Health, a graduate of sociology studies. It is questionable what exactly the Minister expects to learn from the EDE’s conclusion, as the violation is self-evident and inadmissible of any doubt or objection. Rather, communication management through formal legality is sought as usual so that soon the scandal is forgotten not just by the lifeless daily life of Greek men and women, but by the next and perhaps more provocative scandal. However, we will wait until January 8, 2024 to read the conclusion and be informed about the immediate actions of the Minister of Health based on it.

We do not disagree, on the contrary, we agree and over-issue movements and initiatives to strengthen and stimulate the morale of the NHS’s human resources. In any case, a festive event is necessary and helps to lift, even temporarily, the fallen morale of the people in the hospitals. We know that especially after the pandemic, the medical and nursing staff, mainly, but not only, of the NHS are physically, morally and mentally exhausted, and are overwhelmed with the feeling of resignation. Among the measures that a serious, European government would take to deal with the situation, would be the rational and prudent management of human resources based on a modern corresponding strategy. In this context, there would also be measures to strengthen the spirit of cooperation and coexistence of employees (team building). However, no one would expect the management of a hospital to revel in loud music and dancing during hospital hours, much less during his duty.

The now very extreme Atlantic-style neoliberalism implemented by the government is not going anywhere. The incident at the aforementioned hospital amply proves this. Just as the management of a store would organize a festive event while the customers were shopping for his products, so the party and undemocratically appointed Director of the hospital thought it proper and reasonable to dance while the patient-customers were being carried on stretchers next to her.

We are waiting for the conclusion of the EDE, we are waiting for the dismissal and at least disciplinary punishment of Mrs. Elpiniki Tavianatou, as well as the public apology of herself, the Minister of Health, Michalis Chrysochoidis, and the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who called the restructuring of the National Social Insurance Institution a personal bet.

And because the SA Government likes indicators, percentages and financial data: how much did the event with the live orchestra cost and what is the purpose of such a luxurious outing?”