The president of SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis, hastened to clarify what he said in a television interview about spending as a percentage of GDP on public health.
Stefanos Kasselakis with his post on Facebook accuses Adonis Georgiadis and the New Left of trying to change the agenda by distorting his statement and explains that he did not mean 5% but 10%.
Mr. Kasselakis, speaking on Wednesday morning (24.04.2024) at OPEN and when asked what percentage of the GDP will be the expenditure on Health, he replied: “The percentage of the GDP must be measured dynamically. It’s not just that you invest in health and then those wages are not recycled into the economy.” Referring to the percentage, he said: “In my opinion, the investment in health should be at least 5% of the GDP”.
In detail what Stefanos Kasselakis wrote:
“While ND MEP candidate Vicky Flessa makes the chilling statement “we all killed the children in Tempi together”, the spineless partners Adonis Georgiadis and New Left are trying to change the agenda by distorting my statement on Health.
While committing to full staffing of the NHS and an increase in spending on the islands, I said that we should invest at least 5% of GDP in Health, and that means 5% MORE than the figure predicted today.
I’m specifically talking about INVESTMENT, not MAINTAINING the current rate.
This is partially covered by the increase of the Health budget to 7.5%, according to the SYRIZA standing program, and partially by the redirection of the Development Fund money, where the ND has only approved… oil painting of hospitals!
Who is frightened by this statement?
Mr. Georgiadis, don’t you lose the business of the afternoon surgeries?
Those who want patients to die in a farmer’s cart?
I am in the Aegean, going from island to island, as no politician has ever done, and I see the desperation of our islanders for the lack of medical care.
Let’s not hide behind our finger anymore. The situation in the NSS has become dramatic.
Only with brave funding and real investment in Health will be achieved:
-Substantial upgrading of the infrastructure and equipment of the hospitals, which are crumbling, as well as the construction of new hospitals in the country.
-Full development of autonomous Emergency Departments in all hospitals of the country.
-Fully functional tertiary hospitals in all Regions of the country with staffing of all clinics, so that serious cases do not need to be transferred to Athens.
-Especially for the Aegean, due to its geography, full operation of Tertiary Hospitals in Rhodes, Syros and Lesvos to cover all the needs of the islanders.
-Integrated air transport network of EKAV, a health shield above the airspace of the whole of Greece.
-Filling of all vacancies and brave salary increases for all health personnel so that we can get closer to the m.o. of the EU / wage and housing incentives for doctors to work in island and barren areas.
Across the country, we have a NHS in complete disrepair.
We do not want this Greece and we will not allow it.
Our proposal will mean a revolution in the field of Health.
Let those who accustomed a people to little make a decision.
We want a better life and we want it now.”
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