Reply to a topical question by the President of the Parliamentary Group of SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras | Prime Minister’s speech

Athens, April 30, 2010

Dear colleagues,

Mr. Tsipras,

You should know that we care twice as much as you and SYRIZA care about the condition of the National Healthcare System. The NHS is our baby, we, the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement created it. It used to be our pride and joy before it reached this unacceptable level. This is the responsibility-or should I say the conscious choice- of the recent governments of the New Democracy Party.

This has happened in spite of the tireless efforts by so many people working for the NHS. These services are neither worthy of the money spent by the state, by the Social Insurance Funds- unfortunately also households spend a lot of money- nor do they meet the real requirements of Greek families when one of their members falls ill. They also do not meet the requirements of offering basic education and information to the general public in the very important field of prevention.

Who should we blame for this my dear colleagues from SYRIZA? Should we blame the International Monetary Fund? As the poet would say “And now what shall become of us without barbarians? These people were in sooth some sort of settlement.” If what you mean Mr. Tsipras is that the “bad” International Monetary Fund is to blame for everything, that otherwise everything would be perfect, then this is just an easy excuse not to change anything in this country, or an excuse to practice our skills in revolutionary rhetoric.

My dear colleagues from SYRIZA, radicals look at problems directly, without shifts, without scapegoats, and they bring about a real revolution. This is our goal in relation to the present National Healthcare System.

The truth of the matter is that we could have much better hospitals, much better services, more doctors and more importantly more nursing staff. We should not blame the International Monetary Fund for the policy of immeasurable and undisguised corruption. Billions were lost inside the black hole of corruption, of overpriced hospital supplies, of favoritism in hiring new staff. Instead of hiring doctors for the areas outside the centre where they were needed, they were doing favors, bringing the doctors to the centre.

No International Monetary Fund is to blame for problems such as the fragmentation of services, the lack of primary health care and health care services, the huge debts of the hospitals, the great lack of nursing staff, the lack of any form of quality evaluation of services, for the digital gap, which means that there was practically no EDP system to track the procurements, the prescriptions and the treatment and to make sure that every single euro paid by the Greek taxpayer is spent properly and does not end up in the pockets of irresponsible doctors, does not profit the big pharmaceuticals or spent in endless diagnostic requirements since everyone had to undergo every diagnostic test so that various private interests could enjoy the money of the Insurance Funds. All this, despite the fact that there are computers everywhere, which means that money was paid to the companies which supplied them.

This is the reality. This is what we have been called upon to change my dear colleagues from SYRIZA. And I call upon you to contribute to the great changes that we are making to the National Healthcare System to the benefit of all –since I believe this is one field where we can collaborate as a progressive force.

We are going to change all this for three reasons:

1. First of all, we are determined, especially during a crisis, to revive the welfare state and the safety net which people need now more than ever before.
2. Our principles demand that despite the crisis, we give priority to the basic needs of the citizens. In our view, health is a public good which we defend.
3. Because of the crisis, of the poverty, we will relentlessly fight waste, corruption and speculation which damage the National Healthcare System and the very health of the people. We will defend the public interest, the finances of the health sector and of the Insurance Funds which were badly suffering from mismanagement.

More specifically,

- At this difficult moment, we are increasing the capacity of the intensive care units. There are already 83 new beds and we are implementing our plan for 150 beds in the near future. This is a commitment.

- We are dealing with the debts which hospitals had. Already 1,2 billion was paid back.

- We have introduced the list of medicines, electronic prescriptions, e-procurement. At last, rules are introduced and we are dealing with the huge wasting of money by hospitals and Insurance Funds. We intend to reach a point where all State transactions will be processed electronically.

Just two days ago, the Parliament voted legislation proposed by the Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity which provides for:

- Electronic procurement and tendering in the Health sector.

- A price observatory for health procurements

- Hospital packaging and the purchasing of drugs by the NHS based on their active substance.

- The obligation by private clinics with more than 60 beds to operate a pharmacy with the provision that if they do not comply, they will not be allowed to continue to collaborate with the Insurance Funds. Yes, we are controlling private hospitals and clinics.

- The obligation for state hospital and private clinic pharmacies of a daily dosage of medicines for patients and of a prescription book.

- Strict control of the purchasing and handling of medicines by private clinics.

- Despite the difficult situation which we have inherited, we are drastically cutting wasteful practices in the health sector.

Concerning the doctors, there is currently 60.000 medical and nursing staff. There are still vacancies. The selection process for the approximately 3.000 nursing staff positions announced in December 2009 is already under way.

Approximately 200 positions for specialized doctors have been approved and are being sent to the Prefectures. The amount of 500m euro was approved by the competent Ministries of Health and Finance to pay for duty hours and overtime. It was sent to the competent authorities two moths ago as was the additional amount for doctors’ recent earned duty service for January and February.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Mr. Tsipras,

You certainly know that we intend to invest fully in the protection of the citizens and in fundamental rights such as the right to health. We will invest despite the economic difficulties because for us this is a priority.

SECOND REPLY BY THE PRIME MINISTER GEORGE A. PAPANDREOU

Mr. Tsipras of course conveniently forgets that the iceberg existed long before October 4. You never mentioned that Mr.Tsipras. As if everything in Greece started from October 4 onwards.

I understand the political expediency of not referring to October 3 and the previous years and commenting the way you did, as if PASOK and in particular this PASOK , this Parliamentary Group and this Government are responsible for the fact that Greece is now under financial supervision .

Do you know why this happened? Officially, it’s because of the European Union,  the Maastricht Treaty  which you also voted on – and I would like you to assume your share of responsibility here regardless of whether you agree with the Maastricht Treaty or not – and we can also talk about changes to the Maastricht Treaty. In any case the Maastricht Treaty clearly stipulates that if the debt of a country rises above 3% with a small margin of tolerance because of the crisis – because this is what really happened- it is placed under financial supervision. In our case this is the second time this has happened.

It was a simple decision, based on the Budget for 2009 and those of previous years as well as the fact that our country had lost its credibility. Unfortunately the European Union is also partly responsible for not detecting what was going on in time. All the signs if not the entire facts were there which is why we are now under supervision.

It’s not because of the policy exercised by PASOK Mr.Tsipras. It’s the result of profligate spending, corruption, cronyism, clientelism, mismanaging the money of the Greek people all these years. So now we find ourselves in a situation where we can’t borrow from international markets. That’s how it is, I’m afraid. So, the iceberg had been there much earlier .

We have changed course and we have drawn red lines. Our objective is to put an end to the tutelage and supervision we were placed under because of what previous governments did as soon as possible.

To do this we need to forge a broad progressive alliance with the citizens and other healthy forces in our country so that we can reconstruct our country and help it recover. This is the only way we will no longer be under anyone’s tutelage. Fighting for the independence of this country has been part of the proud history of the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement. We have been doing so since 1974. This is one of our basic principles.

Another main principle we have dear colleagues from SYRIZA is to protect the weak. We do our best and have dared say no many times. We don’t mind taking the hard, bumpy road strewn with stones. We bargain hard in these difficult times to protect those who are most vulnerable, the middle class.

Of course this doesn’t make those who could previously escape from a taxation system which was more favourable towards them very happy. I don’t know whether they are friends or foes, whether they are against us or not. What we are saying here though is that in this country there is only one kind of citizen and that is the Greek citizen.

No one is discriminated against.  All people have the same rights and obligations, the same responsibilities, now matter how high they are , how rich or powerful they are. They are all equal before the law, that’s what we say. We now have a taxation system which fairly redistributes burdens and wealth.

This is our red line. To make sure that laws are fair so that people can feel safe. Particularly those who are weaker than others, we want to make them feel safe and secure. This is why the Health system is a priority for us. No IMF or supervision by the European Union changes or will change that.

I have come here to stress specifically that appointments of doctors and nurses for 2009 and 2010 will go ahead as planned. Hospitals, particularly those in rural areas will acquire more infrastructure and equipment through the NSRF.

Working on duty. There is no 10% reduction. People work and get paid, in the new package measures no cuts will be made to duty work . We support the NHS. We do not slash the funds it needs to operate; we are just putting an end to squandering of funds.

That’s where you can help, that’s where trade unionists and labourers can contribute. We must all fight against a corrupt, clientele-based, wasteful system in the health sector. I am not only referring to high quality services. I am also referring to the very survival of the social security and pension funds. This has got nothing to do with the IMF or strict supervision by the European Union. It is our responsibility, we have to do it – let us not fool ourselves or turn a blind eye.

With regard to hiring of medical staff, ASEP(the National Council for selection of civil servants) is already examining the applications of 3.103 nurses- job announcement of December-and  the job announcement for 915 new posts for doctors has already been sent to hospitals. We are now preparing a new announcement for 3.000 posts for nurses. As I mentioned earlier recruitment of staff will not only take place in the health sector. We made a commitment and we will honour it despite the enormous difficulties we face.