“There is no child who has a heart problem and has not been operated on within the required time,” said Deputy Minister of Health Marios Themistokleous, speaking in the Parliament, about the situation prevailing at the Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Center of the “Agia Sophia” Children’s Hospital.
A topical question on the matter was addressed to the Ministry of Health by Nikos Papadopoulos, MP who said that the Center only has two heart surgeons, with the result that “dozens of cases have accumulated”.
The Deputy Minister of Health informed the MP that “there are twenty-three cases on the waiting list”, which are expected to be operated on in the coming months. He pointed out that none of these incidents presents a problem in relation to the length of the wait. “If for one of these children, who are on the list, it is considered that his condition has become such that the surgery should come sooner, the surgery will come sooner,” said Marios Themistokleous.
The Deputy Minister of Health also answered a topical question of SYRIZA MP Ioannis Sarakiotis regarding the “tragic situation in which the General Hospital of Lamia has fallen”, mainly due to the constant departure of doctors from it. Marios Themistokleous presented data on the increase in the hospital’s budget, which has also been included in the financing of the Recovery Fund. In relation to the medical staff, however, the Deputy Minister of Health did not deny that there is an issue due to the departure of doctors. However, he mentioned that announcements are in progress and that in the next period there will be a set of measures, not only for the Lamia Hospital but also for the other hospitals, where there are “many vacant positions”.
