PM Mitsotakis: The smooth operation of the NHS an index of mature democracy

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that orderly functioning of the National Health System, for the upgrading of which we are fighting a great battle with all our forces is an index of mature democracy adding that in this struggle, we are allies and not opponents with the medical world and the health personnel," in his post on Sunday on the weekly report of the government's work. He also thanked the private doctors who responded to the call of the Ministry of Health to cover all vacancies on duty temporarily and for a limited period of time.

"We proceeded to implement major reforms such as the possibility of private work, evening surgeries, the introduction of the 2,100 euro allowance for travel to island and remote areas and the tripling of the monthly allowance for doctors serving in the remote areas.The recession of the last decade and the pandemic left wounds in the NHS that we are struggling to heal. We have a plan, resources and will to have a modern and European NHS by 2027. In my view, both the public and private sectors have a role in the NHS, always for the benefit of patients and without burdening them. That is why we are making a significant effort to give more incentives, to make the NHS more attractive for new doctors to join it as well as better conditions for those already serving it, especially in those areas that present particular challenges" Mitsotakis underlined.

Referring to the 50th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece, he pointed out that today the country is called upon to face old pending issues and new challenges in a fluid international environment, "so that our country can quickly converge with the advanced countries of Europe in terms of wages, institutions and functioning of the state, especially in the fields of health, education and security".

Additionally, referring to the European Commission's annual report on the rule of law, which states that Greece is making partial to significant progress in all 5 recommendations made to us in previous reports. "In view of the next round of the European evaluation, we are starting an open process of regular dialogue with the interested institutional partners and the representatives of the society of the citizens, through a platform for depositing ideas and dealing with malfunctions, which will be based on the common acceptance that from further strengthening of the rule of law, every citizen will be a winner," he emphasised.

Concluding his review, Mitsotakis referred to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. "It was an ambitious and impressive effort, where the organizers tried to do something different. But what I feel and have to say, both as an observer and as a representative of the country that gave birth to the Olympic Games, is that the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 remains the owner of the gold. Not only for its aesthetics. But primarily because it acted as a guardian of the idea of Olympism and the games" he said and wished success to the Greek team.