Mitsotakis visit to “Metaxa” hospital

The Piraeus “Metaxa” General Cancer Hospital visited on Friday morning Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadsher and him Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Papathanasisand was informed about the progress of the renovation and modernization of the hospital facilities, as part of the wider program upgrading the structures of the National Health System.

“Step by step we are building the new National Health System, which we have envisioned and which all Greek women and men deserve. here today, at this iconic cancer hospitalwe see a small aspect of a very large construction project, which spans the entire territory. Eighty hospitals, 156 health centers, with a budget exceeding 400 million euros and financing from the Recovery Fundare changing the face of the infrastructure of primary and secondary and tertiary health care in our country.

I want to reiterate that the project you see here in progresslike many other similar projects, financed by the Recovery Fundthe 36 billion euros that our government secured after Covid to support the development of the Greek economybut also the upgrading of critical social infrastructures.

And I say this because we are three months before the European elections and obviously the main issue in this upcoming ballot box is who will be that political force that will be able to claim for the benefit of the Greek citizens what they deserve from the European Union.

I want to emphasize that the Recovery Fund is a single source of funding for major interventions what we do in health. There are other interventions financed by the NSRF 2021-2027, such as, for example, the energy upgrade of this hospital.

But I also want to emphasize that our interventions are not limited to upgrading infrastructure. We place great emphasis on new digital health services, on important recruitments and on strengthening the NHS with permanent staff.

But also in the preventive examinations, which are also financed by the Recovery Fund, a very ambitious program, the “Doxiadis” Program, which will aim to identify diseases long before patients need to be hospitalized in hospitals such as “Metaxa”. Because we know very well that especially in cancer early diagnosis is what ultimately saves lives and that is why we serve this coherent policy with great consistency.

I will repeat, finally, one more time, that upgrading the National Health System and supporting health as a whole in our country was one of the main pre-election commitments of our government. With great systematicity and despite the difficulties we may encounter, we implement this commitment.

We rely on all the staff of the National Health System. I want one more time -I do it every time I visit any health structure- to thank them, each and every one of them, for all the backs they put in during the difficult time of Covid. We must not forget these. And I think that both of them know that, within the framework of fiscal possibilities, this government will continue to support our doctorsour nurses, our staff, as for example we have already done with the increase in the allowances we give for on-calls”.

As part of the works at “Metaxa” a complete renovation will take place of the sixth and seventh floors, but also of level -1, where the Radiotherapy Unit is located. Among other things, floors, the infrastructure of patient rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, lighting, fire safety and nurse call systems and electrical installations will be reconstructed or replaced.

For his part, the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis said: “The government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis is currently implementing the largest program of a new National Health System, which extends to the largest building upgrade, through the Recovery Fund, of the country’s hospitals and most health centers, the purchase of new medical technology equipment, again through the Recovery Fund, the energy upgrade of public hospitals through the NSRF and the implementation of reforms and also of many thousands of staff recruitment that will give the Greek people a new and much better National Health System. We thank the Prime Minister very much.”

Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Papathanasis noted: “One of the milestones of the Recovery Fund is the renovation of 80 hospitals and 156 health centers. Today, here at “Metaxa”, we are following the progress of this renovation, which will also be completed with an energy upgrade, which will be financed by the NSRF 2021-2027. We continue to offer better services to all our fellow citizens.”