Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-10-22

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PM Karamanlis confers with health minister on pending primary healthcare bill

[01] PM Karamanlis confers with health minister on pending primary healthcare bill

"We are proceeding at a rapid pace in creating the conditions for restructuring of the National Health System (ESY), for consolidating transparency and rational management of the sensitive are of health sector finances, aimed at conserving resources," Avramopoulos said.

He said that "we are on a good road, and are determined to forge ahead at a fast pace in the changes required", adding that the government has always believed that "that which determines the success of a governmental policy is its social dimension".

Avramopoulos further noted that the status quo has changed, and that the ESY required deep changes aimed at its modernisation, since it could no longer function under the conditions of the '80s.

To a question on the "rodents" in the health sector, Avramopoulos noted that the term had been first introduced by former health minister Alekos Papadopoulos (PASOK), "who waged his battle to combat the rodents".

He added that the introduction of a new system of management of the health sector finances, with the bill on procurements and establishment of a procurements central committee, would put an end to that situation. "The rodents and piranhas that were spoken of in the past, are returning to the past. We are looking ahead. We are formulating an environment much more transparent, much more efficient, that will also provide a financial scale, and, chiefly, we are determined to tackle the evil, about which so much has been said in the past, at its roots," the minister continued.

"We are determined, transparency is being consolidated, the economy is being ensured, and a new, optimistic prospect is opening up for health, always to the benefit of the citizens of the country," Avramopoulos said.

The health minister further noted that he had spoken by phone with Archbishop Christodoulos in Miami, to whom he expressed the wish that he will return home soon "in the front line of his lofty spiritual duties".

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