Mitsotakis: The personal doctor initiative must cover the entire Greek population

"The Parliament may present a slightly different picture today, after the latest changes in the main opposition party, but the draft law we are discussing is part of a steady path that upgrades public health by serving three central goals: extensive prevention, organisation of primary care, renovation of 93 hospitals and 156 health centres," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday in Parliament. The prime minister was addressing the plenary during the debate on the draft law "Reforming the institution of the Personal Doctor - Establishment of University Health Centres and other provisions of Ministry of Health."

He emphasised that this was an ambitious plan: "I believe that it has no precedent in the history of the national health system, therefore it requires time and great perseverance in its execution. Undoubtedly, however, it is a project that is implemented day by day."

He also spoke about the importance of interventions that correct any problems that may arise and referred to the new provisions that place the personal doctor at the centre of the government's attention. "An institution which in our country was too late," he added, because its importance was underestimated both by the medical community and by the citizens themselves.

Mitsotakis pointed out, however, that the personal doctor is a very important point of reference in health, which can provide "quality and free health monitoring for life."

"[The primary doctor] is primarily the one who will update and monitor the digital patient record that we will all soon have," he said.

The prime minister underlined that the goal was "to cover the entire Greek population" and emphasised the role of prevention. "For the first time in our country we are getting an organised prevention and public health programme," he said while noting that it was a "reform which has already brought tangible results."

"We are finally promoting the total reorganisation of the afternoon surgeries," Mitsotakis said, adding: "I am in a position to announce the start of the 37,000 free surgeries that will be performed with the resources of the Recovery Fund as of November 28."

He also referred to the three, large state-of-the-art hospitals under construction in Thessaloniki, Komotini and Sparta, but also to the modernisation of parts of other hospital structures.

"However, the most valuable resource of our national health system is none other than its human personnel," he stressed, referring to the appointment of 30,000 doctors, nurses and administrative staff in the last five years. He explained that it is a process that continues as 10,000 additional hires have been planned by 2027, with 2,000 of them directed to primary care.