"The GESS and your eyes", was the characteristic advice of the outgoing Minister of Health Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou to the new Minister Mr. Michalis Hatzipandelas, during the special handover-receipt ceremony of the portfolio of the Ministry of Health that took place today.
Saying goodbye to the outgoing Minister of Health, the Director General of the Ministry Dr. Christina Giannaki referred to the work done by Mr. Ioannou at the Ministry of Health with special reference to "promoting and implementing the most substantial reform since the founding of the Republic of Cyprus. other than the implementation of GESS, for which your personal contribution had the most decisive role and with which your name has been connected ". Throughout his term, continued Dr. Giannaki, Mr. Ioannou was distinguished for his hard work, intelligence and conscientiousness.
Referring to the difficulties encountered in managing the pandemic, the Director General of the Ministry of Health noted that "our decisive action to strengthen Public Health and mitigate the socio-economic impact of the measures taken was crucial, and with the zeal that we have shown, promoting the implementation of the vaccination program, seems to have actually tame the monster called COVID-19. In the context of the first wave, 4.020 patients were treated with appropriate arrangements, in private sector structures, and with the manifestation of the second wave, another 567, so that public hospitals can meet the remaining emerging needs in terms of dealing with the pandemic. " .
Continuing, he referred to the Subsidized Patients Plan, which ensures as much as possible the good of Health to the Cypriot citizen. During the ministry of Mr. Ioannou, 12,677 patients were served in Cyprus and another 3,813 patients were referred to centers abroad.
"The Health portfolio has proven to be very tough and full of challenges, which you have handled with adequacy and efficiency, which allows you to deliver it with a sense of fullness and fulfillment of due duty, completing a successful course with tangible positive results for the place," he said. Dr. Giannaki addressed the outgoing Minister of Health.
Speaking at the ceremony, the outgoing Minister Mr. Ioannou, with emotion, expressed his pride for the work done at the Ministry of Health for the last three years. "Through the implementation of a series of reforms and actions we have radically and substantially changed the Health sector in Cyprus for the benefit of the Cypriot citizen. I want to admit that it was a beautiful trip, uphill, difficult, but it was worth it ", said Mr. Ioannou.
A major reform, he noted, was the implementation of the General Health System, "a vision of decades which despite the war it has accepted and continues to accept, despite the fact that many expected that legislation would never start and remain on the shelves, despite the "The fact that they have been in danger of financial collapse for the past two years is largely in line with its core mission, which is to provide all beneficiaries with equal and universal access to health services." GESS, he stated characteristically, is a work of inspiration, a work that touches all the citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and is the heritage for our children.
In relation to the health crisis of the coronavirus, Mr. Ioannou characterized the decisions taken as difficult and harsh, which restricted individual freedoms, social and economic activities. "However, all our actions were aimed at protecting Public Health and saving lives. Despite the mistakes made along the way, we are proud as the Ministry of Health because we managed to offer excellent medical care to those who fell ill, to have the 2ο lower mortality rate across Europe, four times lower than the average. At the same time, we have the fewest lockdown days from most EU countries and finally to implement one of the fastest vaccination programs in all of Europe, shielding the population of Cyprus in time and especially the vulnerable groups ", he pointed out.
Finally, Mr. Ioannou thanked all the staff of the Ministry of Health for their contribution to the collective effort and the difficult work they carry out daily. He conveyed special thanks to the Director General of the Ministry for all the support and assistance during his tenure, as well as the Ministry Officials who contributed to the management of the pandemic. He also thanked the staff of his Office and mainly thanked the President of the Republic for the trust he showed in himself, giving him the opportunity to serve his country from the post of Minister of Health. "Especially (he thanked President Anastasiadis) for his full support regarding the reforms and especially the GESS, which is an achievement of Nikos Anastasiadis, but also in the handling of the pandemic", he added.
Finally, addressing the newly appointed Minister of Health, Mr. Ioannou wished every success in the difficult task he undertakes, giving him a piece of advice: "The GESS and your eyes".
Addressing the new Minister of Health, Mr. Michalis Hadjipandella, the General Director of the Ministry pointed out that the period when she takes over the helm of the Ministry of Health is difficult. "The pandemic is still a visible danger, which can erupt unexpectedly at any time, despite the very positive results so far," he said. "The needs in the field of Health are immense and the resources, human and economic, although increased today, always remain limited. So you have in front of you a real challenge to get away from the clutter, finding innovative, imaginative, but at the same time human solutions. "With the leaven left by your predecessor, who has set the bar very high, you are called upon to perform a difficult task", said the General Director of the Ministry of Health.
Welcoming Mr. Hadjipandelas, Dr. Giannaki assured that "we will all work with you with zeal! I also assure you that the Ministry of Health has strong structures and capable executives who look forward to and are ready to support with all their might the difficult task you have decided to shoulder. So I wish you every success in your work and strength to face the new challenges ".
In turn, the new Minister of Health, Mr. Hadjipandelas, receiving the portfolio of the Ministry of Health, thanked, as a citizen, the outgoing Minister for the work he has done in one of the most difficult periods. "The reforms that took place and the management of the pandemic undoubtedly bear the stamp of the collective management of Nikos Anastasiadis, but at the same time the signature of Konstantinos Ioannou. I am sure that the citizens of this place recognize and appreciate the titanic effort that was made ", noted Mr. Hadjipandelas.
He conveyed the assurance that as the new Minister of Health he will continue the implementation of the project, with the same vigor and guided by the government axes set by the President of the Republic.
Addressing the staff of the Ministry of Health, he expressed the gratitude of the Cypriot people for the heroic effort that aims to improve our daily lives. "At the same time, I would like to thank President Anastasiadis for the honor he did me. The position I am taking on today is a great honor for me and I am fully aware of the enormous responsibility that the portfolio of the Ministry of Health bears. Public Health is a supreme and non-negotiable good. "The State's commitment to the right of access to health is an indicator of social sensitivity and responsibility," said Mr. Hatzipandelas.
Citing Spyros Doxiadis, a pioneer in the field of Health, who made the first attempt to implement a national Health System, he noted that his saying that "the greatest enemies of health are not germs or even cancer, but poverty, the ignorance and exploitation of man by man ", is what characterizes him as his way of thinking about life. "With a highly developed sense of offering to our fellow human beings, I will seek to be better informed about issues in the field of Health. I sympathize with all the patients and I will try to solve their daily problems. I sympathize and will accompany all health scientists, doctors, nurses, caregivers who fight daily against the visible enemy, the pandemic, at personal cost and with anguish to offer the best possible to their fellow man. "We have to protect those we love and together we can win back our lives free from any trace of public health threat," said the Minister.
Listing his priorities, the Minister of Health referred to the management of the pandemic, the evolution and upgrading of the General Health System, the upgrading of public hospitals and any problems that arise. Finally, he expressed his intention to cooperate with all stakeholders in order for the Health sector in our country to be a bright beacon and an example to be imitated.