The emergency department (ED) of the “Agia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, which is undergoing renovation and upgrade projects amounting to 1.26 million euros as part of the wider program for the construction of model EDs and the upgrading of public health structures, was visited in the morning by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Prime Minister was guided by the hospital administrator Manolis Papasavvas to the premises of the TEP that have already been renovated and handed over, covering an area of ​​1,080 square meters, and was informed about the upgraded services provided.

At the same time, he also visited the section of the TEP, with an area of ​​600 square meters, in which renovation works are being carried out, with interventions in the building facilities and equipment. The works are expected to be completed next month.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis had the opportunity to talk with doctors, nurses and parents of children hospitalized at the hospital about the projects that have been implemented and for the further improvement of hospitalization conditions.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis and the Deputy Minister Marios Themistokleous.

In a meeting held at the hospital’s headquarters, the Prime Minister said:

“It was with great pleasure that I visited once again the “Agia Sophia” pediatric hospital, as the Minister said, the largest pediatric hospital in the country, to oversee the very important projects being carried out by the Recovery Fund, in terms of the complete reconstruction of hospital emergency departments.

I believe that whoever visits these new departments, as well as the rest of the floors and infrastructure of the hospital, will now find that this hospital has nothing to envy from the most modern hospitals. A hospital that treats our little friends above all with dignity and providing medical services of very high quality.

As the Minister said, the National Health System is changing. Without hiding the many problems we inherited, we have one three-year strategic plan which will allow us to do very important infrastructure interventionssuch as those launched by the Recovery Fund, to also make the most of private sponsorships.

mitsotakis

And I would say that the Hagia Sophia hospital par excellence is an example of how the National Health System can collaborate with the private sector to be able to provide better services. From the “ELPIDA” anti-cancer hospital to the complete reconstruction of almost all floors of the “Agia Sophia” hospital, as well as “Aglaia Kyriakou” with private sponsorship. Even today, the country still needs great benefits, which can support public resources so that we can provide our fellow citizens with the health services they deserve.

I also want to remind that the most modern, the newest, big pediatric hospital which is manufactured in the country, in Thessalonikiit will be ready well done 2027. This is also the result of private sponsorship, as is the new mental health center, which will soon be operating here at the “Agia Sophia” hospital.

We must not, moreover, forget that today is world mental health day and I have personally highlighted the mental health issues of children and adolescents as an absolute priority in terms of the issues that concern me.

We discussed with the excellent staff and administration, hospital leadership and workers, the problems that have to do with the lack of staff. We never hid them. We know that we have shortages, especially in nursing staff, and we are doing our best so that the modern infrastructures that are already being launched are also supported by the necessary human staffso that the hospital works exactly as it should.

Again, my congratulations to the administration, the medical staff, the nursing staff, the administrative staff, because, despite the difficulties, the parents above all know that the National Health System for pediatric cases provides very high quality services. Parents trust the country’s pediatric hospitals and this is a legacy we want to build on.”

The Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis noted:

“I would especially like to thank Mr. Prime Minister for doing us the honor of visiting the “Agia Sophia” hospital today, the largest pediatric hospital in the country, to see for himself the progress of the Recovery Fund projects that we are carrying out in this hospital, one of the largest projects of the Recovery Fund in Greece.

We saw the new TEPs of “Agia Sophia”, which are almost completely ready, only a small part remains that will be finished in a month and immediately after that we proceed to the new TEPs at “Aglaia Kyriakou”.

We had the opportunity to inform the Prime Minister of all the work that has been done in this hospital, which is an excellent hospital. I have to say it again, because a lot of times it gets publicity for the wrong reasons. It is an extremely good hospital, saving thousands of lives every day. I want to especially thank the medical, nursing and other staff of this hospital.

I should also say that through the Recovery Fund, Mr. President, we have approved the purchase of a linear accelerator for childhood neoplasms, a state-of-the-art machine for 2.5 million euros, precisely because we want to give this hospital a technological superiority, with the more modern treatments that we can offer our little friends, to really do the best we can.

And I believe that the Greek people now see that through the Recovery Fund the hospitals are really changing, the NHS is changing. We are dealing with staff shortage problems as much as we can and with the new recruitments that have been approved we will be much stronger in 2025 as well. As you have seen, we have also used private sponsorships as much as we can to provide serious social work to families in need they remain in the hospital near their children at critical times.”