Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-23

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PM holds talks on planned social security/health card

[02] Pres. presents ceremonial swords

[03] FinMin confers with Culture minister

[04] Wildfire raging on Rhodes

[01] PM holds talks on planned social security/health card

Petralia told reporters afterwards that every citizen, under the country's social security law, is required to have a "unique number" for social security, explaining that, in cooperation with the health ministry, this would be upgraded into a social security and health card.

She said this was a major project that would help curb contribution-evasion, rationalization of the system, and the provision of higher quality services to the public.

Avramopoulos, in turn, explained that every Greek citizen would be accompanied, from the beginning of his/her life, with an electronic card that would provide all the required health and social security services.

This project, he said, was a very important step, but added that work was still needed in order to reach a final result. The minister noted that the relevant agencies have been assigned the task of working out all the details, which were due to be submitted shortly.

The individual electronic health and social security card will positively impact the general operation of both the social security and the healthcare systems, since it will put an end to overprescription of medicines and unnecessary medical services.

Asked when the program would be put into force, Avramopoulos estimated that more specific announcements would be forthcoming in two months' time.

Called on to comment on newspaper reports that hospital operating rooms were closing down during the summer due to understaffing resulting from holiday leaves, Avramopoulos said that instructions have already been given, and were repeated Wednesday morning following a lengthy meeting, to avert such a problem arising during the summer period.

Avrampoulos added, however, that "we must proceed at a rapid pace in settling all the open issues, and chiefly the shortage in staff".

"To date, we have not had any problem, but we are in a constant state of vigilance," the health minister added.

Asked whether funds for health sector hiring have been approved by economy and finance minister George Alogoskoufis, Avramopoulos noted that in the past two years some 6,500 healthcare staff have been hired, adding, however, that many more such hirings remained pending, "which will be made in due course," while the relevant procedures have already progressed.

Avrampoulos said he was puzzled by the furor that recently arose regarding the Attiko Hospital, given that the number of staff had jumped from 560 two years ago to 1,300 at present.

He also announced that the new operational framework for the National Health System (ESY) would be unveiled in October, and would "lay the foundations for the new ESY".

Caption: File photo of prime minister Costas Karamanlis. (ANA-MPA/P. Saitas)

[02] Pres. presents ceremonial swords

The swearing-in ceremony of the 277 second lieutenants was attended by the Greek Armed Forces leadership headed by National Defense General Staff Chief Gen. Dimitrios Grapsas, political party and local authority representatives.

Among the graduates were 239 Greeks (220 men and 19 women), 22 Cypriots, 4 Armenians, 3 Georgians, 2 Syrians, and one each from Jordan, Bulgaria, Romania, Cameroon, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Moldova and the Central African Republic.

President Papoulias, who was accompanied by Deputy National Defense Minister Yannis Plakiotakis, was formally greeted on arrival by Army General Staff Chief Lieut. Gen. Dimitrios Voulgaris.

Caption: President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias presenting ceremonial swords to graduating military officers. (ANA-MPA)

[03] FinMin confers with Culture minister

Alogoskoufis told reporters afterwards that he had a very good collaboration with Liapis on completing the latter's ministry's 2008 budget.

Culture, he said, was a very great priority for the government, adding that there was very close cooperation with the culture ministry, given that the ministry's special account, as well as the special accounts of other ministries, will be abolished and their resources will be incorporated into the expenditures of the regular state budget.

As a result of the resources' incorporation in the regular budget, funding of the culture ministry will become more efficient, Alogoskoufis said.

Liapis, in turn, noted the close cooperation with Alogoskoufis, and said that the ministry's 2008 budget will be drafted jointly by the two ministries.

He further said that the culture ministry's expenditures account for 0.65 percent of the total expenditures of the state budget, and expressed hope that they would 'some time' reach 1.0 percent.

Liapis further said that culture comprised the country's comparative advantage.

Caption: File photo of culture minister Michalis Liapis. (ANA-MPA/K. Mavrona)

[04] Wildfire raging on Rhodes

Firefighting efforts are continuing with the help of water bombing aircraft that were unable to take off earlier in the morning due to thick smoke that limited visibility. The firefighting forces operating on the island have also been reinforced by fire engines and firemen on foot from Athens.

An elderly man from the village of Agios Isidoros has been arrested, accused of arson due to negligence.

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