08-03-2010: “Athens Mayor meets with Health and Social Solidarity Minister”

Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis today met
with Health and Social Solidarity Minister Mariliza Xenoyiannakopoulou to
discuss matters of mutual interest.




After their meeting, Mayor Kaklamanis made
the following statement:




"Today, I essentially held my first
official meeting, as Mayor of Athens, with Health and Social Solidarity
Minister Mariliza Xenoyiannakopoulou on matters of mutual interest. We focused
on three matters: The first - exceptionally timely considering the vote on the
Kallikratis bill - was cooperation between the City of Athens and the Health Ministry, in terms of
both the programmatic contract which we signed together with the previous
political administration as well as Kallikratis, which concerns our cooperation
in terms of Primary Healthcare. I informed her that the first District Health
Centre, that is, the conversion of the 5th Municipal Health Clinic
to a District Health Centre, will begin operating in Athens within 2010. I asked her to ensure
that the programmatic agreement we signed would continue to be implemented.




The second matter we discussed was
welfare in all its magnitude. I explained to her what the City of Athens does, presented
her with a detailed file and, of course, asked that the ministry assume its
area of responsibility.




The third matter concerned the Drug
and Alcohol Use Prevention Centres, the main emphasis being the continuation of
the operational programme that involves the transfer of Organisation Against
Drugs (OKANA) units - as you know, only one has been transferred - to regional
hospitals and Athens' city centre, for reasons of public order, but also
because, scientifically, we believe that this is a better solution. I remind
you that, during my term, similar transfers were made to six regional
hospitals, namely Patra, Chania, Thessaloniki, Agrinio and another two, all of
which function very successfully. The Minister made a commitment that - beyond
our discussion and once she has examined the issues - a second meeting will be
held in 15 days' time in the presence of Fofi Gennimata, the deputy minister
responsible for welfare issues, so that we can reach the heart of the matter.




Journalist: Greece's
finances are in a tight spot, Mr Kaklamanis, Did you receive an answer or
commitment on what it will happen?




Nikitas
Kaklamanis: With regards to what?




Journalist:
What
Kallikratis will mean for the City of Athens.




Nikitas
Kaklamanis: No, we did not discuss this, because if that was the case, I would have
come - and this will happen, of course - in my capacity as chairman of the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece
(KEDKE). The KEKDE Executive Committee will meet with the Minister on this
matter. Of course, since you are asking, I would like to say that KEDKE has a
fixed, unanimous position, that we will not accept the transfer of a single
responsibility if it is not accompanied by the corresponding resources, not in
verbal terms, but with specific written reference in the Interior Ministry
budget.




Journalist: So, you discussed the
matter of City of Athens Municipal
Health Clinics?




Nikitas
Kaklamanis: We discussed the seven Municipal Health Clinics which will gradually be
converted to District Health Centres via the programmatic agreement. And I
repeat that the conversion of the first building has already begun and the new
equipment has been ordered. As for the second, which is located in the 2nd City District, the relevant file is with the ministry's technical services, so
that the details of the necessary building conversion can be approved or, if
they disagree, modified.




Journalist: Did they tell you
whether the government is considering the provision of methadone via hospital
outpatient clinics?




Nikitas
Kaklamanis: No, we did not discuss the matter.




Journalist: What did you talk about
in terms of welfare?




Nikitas
Kaklamanis: For both reasons of substance and ethics, the welfare component will be
discussed in detail in the presence of the competent deputy minister in 15
days' time. We explained the following to the minister. As you know, Local
Government - and I am not saying what might happen with the Kallikratis plan - formally
does not have one single responsibility or obligation, as it stands today. Therefore,
whatever the City of Athens does, that is, providing meals to 3,000 individuals
each day, establishing the Social Grocery, Social Pharmacy and the Athens
Market, through which we dress thousands of people, or providing healthcare through
the Municipal Health Clinics, particularly to non-legal migrants, we do it on
our own initiative and with our own resources and, in the case of the Homeless
Foundation, resources in kind which are provided by private individuals. You
can understand that we have reached our limits and capabilities, therefore the
state must assume its responsibilities.




Incidentally, I would like to
express my deep dissatisfaction with the damage caused to the Social Pharmacy
last night by unknown persons who broke open its doors. The same goes for the
Homeless Foundation, which was attacked by hooded individuals and suffered
damage. I would like to believe that these were isolated acts of extreme
lawlessness, but I note it all the same.




Finally, I would like to thank Ms Xenoyiannakopoulou for our good
cooperation and remind you that she started out when I served as a Euro-MP, during
which time she was at the European Commission.