St. Futa: Dismantling structures brings the bill – The end of KETHEA as we knew it is coming

The KETHEA Employees Association and the KETHEA Family Associations are protesting against the upcoming bill which, as they argue, destroys mental health and addiction in the country, abolishing KETHEA and other addiction programs that have been in place for decades.

As the psychologist of KETHEA “Ariadni” and member of the Board of Directors of the KETHEA Employees’ Association, Stavroula Fouda, said, speaking on the show “Psila Grammata” of Politica 89.8 and Filia Saridaki, instead of hiring staff and creating new units, the ministry abolishes the structures.

“Uncertainty about reversing the treatment plan”
KETHEA’s programs are continued by the staff who regularly offer their services and their important work, despite the lack of instructions. Mrs. Fouda described the insecurity of the workers but also of the patients and their families, stating that “ people are served by a specific model of treatment, the dry rehab program that gives special weight to families, that has a specific treatment plan from beginning to end and all of this is going to be reversed and it is reasonable that it causes us insecurity as well. We will continue to do our work as long as we are allowed“.

“End of KETHEA as we knew it”
As long as the ministry’s plan goes ahead, the workers and families of addicts will escalate their mobilizations, but the ministry’s plans are proceeding normally. As Mrs. Fouda noted “a parent who comes today and wants to mobilize his child for example to start addiction, knows that at some point in his treatment his child will not catch KETHEA, as he knows it and as it is effective...”.

The policy that will apply in the future, as he mentioned, is cuts, budget and selection of the most urgent incident as it applies in general in the area of health which is collapsing. Mrs. Fouda called on the citizens and the society to fight on their side, while she also asked the municipality and the Region to take a stand as, as she said, “there is a silent fish”.