Zakynthos Informer Zakynthos Informer
Related Articles
In a press release today, the Health Minister of Greece, Mr Vassilis Kikilias stated the following:-
The vast majority of Greeks abide by the measures.
The issue of Public Health for the Mitsotakis Government, for the Prime Minister himself, for me as Minister of Health, for all members of our Government, is by far the first priority. We do what is humanly possible to save even one more human life.
At the Ministry of Health we have invested strategically in the experts, in the top scientists we have in the country and they advise us directly and interdepartmentally, in everything that has to do with the ways in which we can protect our lives, our families and vulnerable groups.
In Greece I must say that the vast majority of our fellow citizens – and I thank them very much – are disciplined, supportive of their families and understand what it means to protect our grandparents, our parents, vulnerable groups and ourselves. us. And they do this comparatively more and with better results than anywhere else.
To those who waved their finger at us and talked about the unruly Greeks, we proved, and became an example to be imitated, that we can discipline and support our country.
About the phenomena of disorder that is observed.
I am the first to say, especially to young people, that we do not point our finger, we love them, it is our natural continuation, we support these children.
We try to explain with examples and convince our fellow citizens. Beyond that, there are control mechanisms that have proven that they can work in our country. This is not punitive, it is protective for Greek society. The percentage of those who follow the measures is huge compared to those who are not interested or do not have the appropriate knowledge or believe that a human life is not worth it.
Beyond that, there are the State Public Health Laws and the Penal Code. We first want to advise, we want to inform, we want to support. Then, if and if this is not possible, the Government, through the Civil Protection, proceeds with specific measures and, of course, the Ministry of Civil Protection with appropriate actions and decisions that ensure public health.
Flu vaccination.
In 2018, 2 million of our fellow citizens were vaccinated. We did a vaccination campaign and increased the country’s ability to vaccinate to 3 million last year. And that built a wall of immunity for the flu virus and helped our ICUs to withstand the coronavirus. This year, the Ministry of Health has secured 4 million vaccines, 1 million more than last year.
As there is a Committee of Infectious Diseases-Epidemiologists, there is a National Vaccination Committee which has already launched the vaccination program of the country. The vaccination will start on October 15 and will continue until December. The Vaccination Committee with which I will make a press conference, together with the President of the Pan Hellenic Pharmaceutical Association and all the involved bodies, will explain and scientifically document which are the vulnerable groups, who are the ones who should have priority in vaccination and how the vaccination will be done.
About the safety of a possible coronavirus vaccine.
The European Commission coordinates, organizes, signs contracts with countries and gives 2.7 billion Euros for the vaccination of European citizens. It is clear that in none of the cases will Europe use vaccines without being tested, without being scientifically tested, without being approved. This is out of the ordinary.
Also, there is no huge multinational pharmaceutical company that would risk its reputation, credibility and profits, if you will, by bringing a vaccine to market that is not sufficient or safe.
About Intensive Care Units
We are currently over 900 ICU beds at the moment and 1200 permanent ICU beds will be ready by the end of the year. It is obvious that a lot of work has been done and we have many times more than we had last year.
The geometric increase of such an epidemic has unfortunately proved that no health system, no matter how advanced, no matter how rich a country is, can withstand hundreds of thousands of cases and serious incidents. That is why preventive measures are taken for Public Health. This is what we did in our country with great success.
There are over 6,500 doctors, nurses and other staff above in our Hospitals. Greater know-how, drugs, double the ICU and better knowledge of the virus on the part of our scientists. But if the Greek society does not keep up with this anxious effort, obviously the results will not be what we want.
We will go step by step analyzing the scientific data, speaking transparently to the world, with confidence in Greeks and we will support each other so that we can succeed. No matter how many ICUs are needed, we will be here to adapt our system.
However, I will explain very honestly, that in matters of Public Health we must be careful and support each other, because we do not want to see our parents, our grandparents, or our fellow human beings with an underlying disease or a vulnerable group to enter this process to be tortured and their lives endangered.
They are not “old and young”, “the good and the bad”. We are all a fist in trying to do it, as we did in spring. And I am convinced that together, with effort, responsibility and seriousness we will succeed again
About the attitude of the Official Opposition Party.
As Minister of Health, I laid the groundwork for consensus on Public Health issues. And I came out boldly and honestly and honoured and nominally all these colleagues of the Opposition who supported this effort.
But with the same boldness and the same courage and sincerity, I scolded those who, with their micro political statements and tactics, endanger Public Health.
I will not allow it. I will not let anyone risk even one human life. I think everyone understands the urgency of the moment, we are in the middle of a pandemic. Science is advancing, we see that we are some months ahead of scientific discoveries and vaccines that will give another opportunity to our societies.
I will honour all those who will support Greek society. It has nothing to do with the Greek Government, it has nothing to do with me personally. It has to do with citizens.
The Ministry of Health exists and intersects where poverty, misery and difficulty begins. And we must support them all.
Whoever becomes an obstruction to that , they will have us against them.
Source and whole press release in Greek https://eody.gov.gr
