Dr. George Patoulis, *President of the Medical Association of Athens, Mayor of the Olympic Municipality of Amaroussion and President of the Panhellenic *Intermunicipality Health and Welfare Network  will pay a visit to New York City on March 9-14, 2013 upon the invitation of the President of the Hellenic Medical Society of New York, Dr. Nick Mezitis.

During his stay in NYC, he is going to meet with Archbishop Demetrios of America, as well as with several representatives of agencies in order to discuss various regional and global issues affecting Greece.

On the occasion of the visit, in addition to the meeting with the board of directors of the Hellenic Medical Society of Athens, the President of *Medical Association of Athens* will be received by the Diaspora within an important ceremony on Monday March 11, to give a lecture about *Greece's Healthcare System Today and Tomorrow*.

*THE SITUATION IN GREECE for UNINSURED AND INSURED PREOPLE *

*and THE "CLINIC OF SOCIAL MISSION"*

The jobless rate in Greece is currently over 25%. Over 1,2 milion Greeks lose their access to free healthcare system *due to the economic crisis*, because of unemployment or of being unable to pay taxes.

In recognition of that fact*, *13 months ago, the President of *Medical Association of Athens*, Dr Patoulis took the initiative and together with the charitable organization "Apostoli" of the *Holy Archdiocese of Athens*, established *the "Clinic of Social Mission"* for providing primary health care to the long-term unemployed and uninsured people that live beneath the
poverty line.

At the Clinic of Social Mission, we have counted more than 18,000 medical visits within 13 months, while around 200 uninsured patients  are receiving  their medication gratis from our Social Pharmacy on a daily
basis.

And this opportunity is their only way to survive, because they cannot afford to buy medicine or to pay for  the doctor.  In addition, during last
year more that 3,000 free lab tests were completed.

Other actions of the Clinic of Social Mission are *a)* the panhellenic child vaccination campaign, during which 3460 uninsured children have been vaccinated, *b)* the 10  health trips to the isolated islands of Greece, *c) * the collection of medicines in municipalities and parishes, as well as *d) * the "adoption" of the medications for the uninsured patients with chronic
illnesses in order to obtain them every month.

The initiative for establishing *"social primary health care units"* is being promoted by Dr Patoulis to all over Greece, to many municipalities, that the follow the dream of the *Clinic of Social Mission*, in order to providing medical care to the growing uninsured population.

Of vital importance seem to be the cases that needed hospitalization*(secondary health care services). *Uninsured patients do not have any access to secondary and tertiary healthcare Units. We tried to open *the chain of life and support* to the
public hospitals in Attica. Nine public hospitals, already, are supprting us. The numbers speak for themselves; 26 hospitalizations and 95 lab tests have been carried out.


*But from the 500 uninsured patients who had to get operated, only  4 young patients with cancer have been operated.*

Another huge problem appears with uninsured pregnant women of high risk, because hospitals do not accept them without paying. They are supposed to give birth in the middle of the road, because...they have to pay everywhere...and they do not have the money.

We express our gratitude to *the INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES*and especially to the President, his Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America for delivering medical supplies and supporting our effort.

We remind all Greeks of NYC that the health care needs in Greece are growing on a daily basis and thus nationwide. Not only as the uninsured patients are concerned, but, as well as the insured ones, who are supposed, *with an incoming up to 5,000 euro per year, to pay 25% for perception medicine and thus for chronic-ill patients.*

We will shortly begin to loose our patients because of the economic crisis, which has stepped up a profound humanitarian crisis

The bailout policy that Greece signed in May 2010, stipulated that the nation cut health spending to no more than 6% of gross domestic product, from 9.7% : more than 30% reduction! Using percentage of GDP as a guide in one of the poorest countries of Europe, is pure genocide, which is now being exposed as a daily occurrence.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported an explosion of HIV and other infectious diseases by twentyfold in fewer than two years, sending an alarm for the danger of public health in Greece.

The cost of prevention to avert infections, to screen diseases before giving symptoms, to vaccination, to provide primary and secondary prevention had to be policies of first priority for the healthcare system in Greece. And not to be forgotten is that prevention costs less than the provision of treatment.



*For us, at the Medical Association of Athens public health and protection of human dignity are and will remain our first priorities.*

Αυτό το κείμενο εκτυπώθηκε από το hellenicvoiceny.com, στη διεύθυνση
: http://www.hellenicvoiceny.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7644&Itemid=27