His recommendation Children’s Cancer Center “Marianna Vladimirovna Vardinogiannis – Nadezhda” as an independent private legal entity to which oncology departments are transferred Children’s hospitals “Agia Sophia” and “P.&A. Sunday”provides for a draft law of the Ministry of Health, which is included in public consultation. It will work in the existing building of the Children’s Oncology Department, will be functionally linked to two children’s hospitals and will be supervised by Minister of Healthwho will also be responsible for the appointment of leadership.

According to the Ministry of Health, “the oncology department is being upgraded to an oncology dispensary so that it can work more flexibly for the benefit of patients without changing its public character.” As emphasized in the ministry, it will provide free medical services, hospitalization and support to children suffering from benign and malignant diseases and their families, including uninsured and low-income citizens, and will also carry out research programs in the field of pediatric hematology-oncology from on behalf of himself or on behalf of third parties, either alone or in cooperation with related parties in Greece and abroad.

Transformation of the oncology department into Independent Center of National Institutes of Health provoked a violent reaction from the workers of the hospitals “Agia Sophia” and “Aglaya Kyriakou” and the doctors of the hospitals of Attica, who are preparing a series of mobilizations. In their statement, the doctors of Agia Sophia wonder if the transformation of the oncology department into an intensive care unit “ultimately serves the financial independence of the department, that is, direct profit and management by the new owners and other stakeholders.” And they emphasize that “the hospital belongs to the public health system and the oncology departments of our hospital have been doing great for many years thanks to the contribution of employees who go the extra mile day and night.” In the same vein, the Athens-Piraeus Association of Hospital Physicians emphasizes that “the autonomy proposed by the bill will only pave the way for the transfer of cases served by these departments to the private sector, and warns that “it will not allow the privatization of any department or hospital.”

Tomorrow, from 8 am, the workers of Agia Sophia are on strike. until 15:00 and the day after tomorrow at 13:00. they will hold a rally in the courtyard of the hospital together with unions and parents’ associations.