Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Quality infrastructure in the National Health System and utilization of European funds (video)

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited this morning the Piraeus Tzaneio General Hospital, where extensive works are being carried out to upgrade hospital and sanitary facilities, with funding from the Recovery and Resilience Fund. In fact, the Prime Minister stressed the origin of the resources used for the reconstruction of Tzaneio, underlining that this is «the best proof that the resources of the Recovery Fund are working and through them we are implementing projects that have been long overdue for a long time, for the upgrading of public health and the National Health System».

Overall, he pointed out that his vision for the new National Health System includes quality infrastructure, with effective use of European resources and «we will continue to work in this direction».

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accompanied by Health Minister Adonis Georgiades, Deputy Minister Marios Themistokleous and the Governor of the 2nd Health Region Christos Roilos, was informed by the hospital's Governor Ilias Gouzouasis about the progress of the works, which occupy a total area of about 4,000 square meters on four floors of the main building.

The Prime Minister first toured the upgraded facilities on the 1st and 3rd floors, which have now been handed over for use, and then went up to the 4th floor, where work is expected to be completed in March, so that work can then begin on the 5th floor. Kyriakos Mitsotakis had the opportunity to talk to medical and nursing staff, whom he thanked for their unstinting contribution in the midst of the work. «It will help a lot,» noted a hospital worker, referring to the upgrades being implemented.

The interventions at Tzaneio include the renovation and modernisation of the inpatient wards, offices, common and support spaces of eight inpatient units, the creation of 32 new bathrooms and the complete reconstruction of 18 public WC complexes.

At the end of his visit, the Prime Minister said: «I would like to express my satisfaction with the speed with which the important reconstruction project of the Tzaneio Hospital is being launched.

I had the opportunity to visit the old wards. Those of you who work here or have been hospitalized here know the situation that unfortunately prevailed in the hospital. It had not been substantially rebuilt since 1960, I was informed.

And of course, you can make the comparison with the new wards, with wards that now have toilets, so that we can provide decent conditions of hospitalization, but also working conditions, in a hospital that is so identified with the city of Piraeus.

I want to stress that the resources that were used for the reconstruction of Tzaneio come from the Recovery Fund. And I want to thank the Hellenic Investment Fund, as the implementing agency, for the very high speed with which it is launching important projects, which alone in our hospitals exceed 300 million euros.

It is the best proof that the resources of the Recovery Fund are working and through them we are implementing projects that have been long overdue for a long time, for the upgrading of public health and the National Health System as a whole.

I would also like to congratulate all the hospital workers, because it is not easy to carry out such an intervention with the hospital «on the move», that is, operating. The same will happen with the Emergency Departments. So thank you very much for your cooperation and for your understanding.

But you also see the results of this intervention: better working conditions for you and certainly better hospital conditions for the patients who come and are treated at Tzaneio.

This is how we envision the new National Health System: with quality infrastructure, with effective use of European resources and this is the direction we will continue to work in. So I wish a good and quick completion of the projects».

Health Minister Adonis Georgiades noted that ‘after more than 60 years, a substantial renovation of all areas of the hospital is taking place. In record time, in less than two months, Mr. President, the contracting began, the first two floors have already been delivered, fully renovated and reconstructed, the third is being constructed and we are following for the fourth.

And a month from today we start the next contract, renovating all the emergency departments on the ground floor of the hospital. So in the first half of 2024, Tzaneio will be practically a new hospital.».

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan «Greece 2.0» for public health also includes, among other things, the reconstruction and modernization of emergency departments in large public hospitals such as Thriasio, KAT and Hippokratio, the upgrading of buildings, energy specifications, electrical equipment and infrastructure of more than 150 primary care facilities, and the supply of medical equipment for all primary care facilities.