On Wedenesday 27 March 2013 at noon, the Minister of Health of Turkey, Mr Mehmet Muezzinoglu and his wife, Mrs Faize Muezzinoglu, accompanied by the Minister of Health, Mr Andreas Lykourentzos, the Ambassador of Turkey to Greece, Mr. Kerim Uras and his wife, Mrs Zeynep Uras, visited the “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” Paediatric Oncology Hospital.
The President of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA”, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, and the Director of the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital, Mr Emmanouil Papasavas, welcomed the guests and gave them a tour of the wards and the classrooms.
In a modest ceremony in the Hospital’s amphitheatre, Mrs Vardinoyannis, addressed the Ministers of Health of Greece and Turkey: “We welcome you as the special friends of ELPIDA, as the founders of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ankara Child Health and Diseases Haematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital and the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital of Athens. This is the first twinning in the framework of the twinning programme with the largest children’s oncology hospitals of the world which we launched in early 2013. I therefore feel particular honour and joy to be given the opportunity today to personally thank you for your invaluable contribution in our efforts and our work for children suffering from cancer. At the same time, I am touched by the fact that here today, all together, we are sending a resounding message of hope, friendship and cooperation between the two countries, our goal being the health and protection of children…. The purpose of the twinning programme is to exchange scientific knowledge and to establish a multidimensional cooperation in the fight against childhood cancer. We believe that the fight against childhood cancer can become a bridge of peace, friendship, understanding and cooperation between people… As part of this effort, we symbolically installed on this wall a world map which we named the “Map of Peace and Hope”. On this map we will colour in the countries that we cooperate with in the framework of the twinnings and we will also place their flags. Our goal is to colour this entire map and to place as many flags as possible, to honour the countries and their cooperation with us… Today, I feel emotional and optimistic, because Turkey and Greece have frequently collaborated in the past, helping each other in cases of humanitarian crisis and natural disasters. I truly hope, after this memorandum, that our two people will develop an excellent collaboration in the fight against childhood cancer. The life of a child is so important and so powerful that it can bring our people even closer…”
Mrs Vardinoyannis then invited Mr Lykourentzos and Mr Muezzinoglu to place the flags of Greece and Turkey respectively on the “Map of Peace and Hope” and awarded them the special honorary plaque of the ELPIDA Association, as recognition of their contribution towards the work of ELPIDA through the twinning of the paediatric hospitals of Athens and Ankara.
Mr Muezzinoglu sincerely thanked Mrs Vardinoyannis for the honour she bestowed on him and expressed his admiration for her work and her personality: “I would like to add a few more adjectives to your titles, Mrs Vardinoyannis, for being the main supporter and a humanitarian and charitable being, who is the heart and soul of this Association. Your human approach and the responsibilities you took on for children facing a very grave health problem, is of exceptional importance and your overall effort and contribution is wonderfully expressed through the Greek world ELPIDA, which has the deeper meaning of hope. We all know that the first and foremost hope of every family and every country of the world are the children. The children are everyone’s hope and future, but unfortunate they sometimes face serious health problems that can threaten their life. I would therefore like to express my appreciation for your vital contribution in such a critical sector, such as childhood oncology, and especially the issues of transplants which you have been addressing in the framework of your and your Association’s efforts. I believe that I have fully understood the way in which you operate: you do not provide solely medical support, but also other facilitations to find solutions for issues relating to the social and educational needs of the children, while also supporting their families. This important sector of health faces funding difficulties, which can be witnessed on a daily basis, as increased requirements which are not met. Health services are provided by the state; however, we realise that the increased needs have created a demanding environment which cannot be addressed by state funds. In these cases, the mobilization and contributions of the prominent members of a society is of the utmost importance and conveys the best message across society as a whole. When we talk about mankind, we focus on elevating and improving the living conditions of children wherever they may be. I would like to express the pleasure and joy I feel from my visit here, because I believe that everyone can help so that children can live in an environment that promotes health, peace and cooperation. I would like to personally thank you, Mrs Marianna, and the Vardinoyannis family, and to wish health, happiness and joy to all the children of the world”.
Mr Lykourentzos then took the floor:“I feel touched, because after the signing of the protocols and memorandum between the “Agia Sofia” hospital and the Ankara hospital, I am here today with the eminent Mr Minister to launch our cooperation by planning measures and initiatives which will build a better and brighter future for the children suffering from childhood cancer. I would especially like to thank Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis as well as the Vardinoyannis family, as did the Minister, to express my thanks and my praise for their active and generous support towards the Greek state. As Minister of Health, I enthusiastically welcome initiatives such as this one by Mrs Vardinoyannis and I want to point this out because in the past there were opinions in our country against private initiative and sponsorships, despite the fact that the sponsoring institution was born in ancient Greece. We are all happy that we can coexist, because the private and public sector coexist for the common good”.
We should note that the twinning programme with the largest oncology hospitals of the world is one of the most important initiatives of Mrs Vardinoyannis and she states that she is determined to work with all her powers towards its realisation. The importance of this initiative is better demonstrated by the “Map of Peace and Hope”, and everyone’s wish is to be able to fill it up as quickly as possible with the flags of the countries that will join the programme.
On Wedenesday 27 March 2013 at noon, the Minister of Health of Turkey, Mr Mehmet Muezzinoglu and his wife, Mrs Faize Muezzinoglu, accompanied by the Minister of Health, Mr Andreas Lykourentzos, the Ambassador of Turkey to Greece, Mr. Kerim Uras and his wife, Mrs Zeynep Uras, visited the “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” Paediatric Oncology Hospital.
The President of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA”, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, and the Director of the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital, Mr Emmanouil Papasavas, welcomed the guests and gave them a tour of the wards and the classrooms.
In a modest ceremony in the Hospital’s amphitheatre, Mrs Vardinoyannis, addressed the Ministers of Health of Greece and Turkey: “We welcome you as the special friends of ELPIDA, as the founders of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ankara Child Health and Diseases Haematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital and the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital of Athens. This is the first twinning in the framework of the twinning programme with the largest children’s oncology hospitals of the world which we launched in early 2013. I therefore feel particular honour and joy to be given the opportunity today to personally thank you for your invaluable contribution in our efforts and our work for children suffering from cancer. At the same time, I am touched by the fact that here today, all together, we are sending a resounding message of hope, friendship and cooperation between the two countries, our goal being the health and protection of children…. The purpose of the twinning programme is to exchange scientific knowledge and to establish a multidimensional cooperation in the fight against childhood cancer. We believe that the fight against childhood cancer can become a bridge of peace, friendship, understanding and cooperation between people… As part of this effort, we symbolically installed on this wall a world map which we named the “Map of Peace and Hope”. On this map we will colour in the countries that we cooperate with in the framework of the twinnings and we will also place their flags. Our goal is to colour this entire map and to place as many flags as possible, to honour the countries and their cooperation with us… Today, I feel emotional and optimistic, because Turkey and Greece have frequently collaborated in the past, helping each other in cases of humanitarian crisis and natural disasters. I truly hope, after this memorandum, that our two people will develop an excellent collaboration in the fight against childhood cancer. The life of a child is so important and so powerful that it can bring our people even closer…”
Mrs Vardinoyannis then invited Mr Lykourentzos and Mr Muezzinoglu to place the flags of Greece and Turkey respectively on the “Map of Peace and Hope” and awarded them the special honorary plaque of the ELPIDA Association, as recognition of their contribution towards the work of ELPIDA through the twinning of the paediatric hospitals of Athens and Ankara.
Mr Muezzinoglu sincerely thanked Mrs Vardinoyannis for the honour she bestowed on him and expressed his admiration for her work and her personality: “I would like to add a few more adjectives to your titles, Mrs Vardinoyannis, for being the main supporter and a humanitarian and charitable being, who is the heart and soul of this Association. Your human approach and the responsibilities you took on for children facing a very grave health problem, is of exceptional importance and your overall effort and contribution is wonderfully expressed through the Greek world ELPIDA, which has the deeper meaning of hope. We all know that the first and foremost hope of every family and every country of the world are the children. The children are everyone’s hope and future, but unfortunate they sometimes face serious health problems that can threaten their life. I would therefore like to express my appreciation for your vital contribution in such a critical sector, such as childhood oncology, and especially the issues of transplants which you have been addressing in the framework of your and your Association’s efforts. I believe that I have fully understood the way in which you operate: you do not provide solely medical support, but also other facilitations to find solutions for issues relating to the social and educational needs of the children, while also supporting their families. This important sector of health faces funding difficulties, which can be witnessed on a daily basis, as increased requirements which are not met. Health services are provided by the state; however, we realise that the increased needs have created a demanding environment which cannot be addressed by state funds. In these cases, the mobilization and contributions of the prominent members of a society is of the utmost importance and conveys the best message across society as a whole. When we talk about mankind, we focus on elevating and improving the living conditions of children wherever they may be. I would like to express the pleasure and joy I feel from my visit here, because I believe that everyone can help so that children can live in an environment that promotes health, peace and cooperation. I would like to personally thank you, Mrs Marianna, and the Vardinoyannis family, and to wish health, happiness and joy to all the children of the world”.
Mr Lykourentzos then took the floor:“I feel touched, because after the signing of the protocols and memorandum between the “Agia Sofia” hospital and the Ankara hospital, I am here today with the eminent Mr Minister to launch our cooperation by planning measures and initiatives which will build a better and brighter future for the children suffering from childhood cancer. I would especially like to thank Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis as well as the Vardinoyannis family, as did the Minister, to express my thanks and my praise for their active and generous support towards the Greek state. As Minister of Health, I enthusiastically welcome initiatives such as this one by Mrs Vardinoyannis and I want to point this out because in the past there were opinions in our country against private initiative and sponsorships, despite the fact that the sponsoring institution was born in ancient Greece. We are all happy that we can coexist, because the private and public sector coexist for the common good”.
We should note that the twinning programme with the largest oncology hospitals of the world is one of the most important initiatives of Mrs Vardinoyannis and she states that she is determined to work with all her powers towards its realisation. The importance of this initiative is better demonstrated by the “Map of Peace and Hope”, and everyone’s wish is to be able to fill it up as quickly as possible with the flags of the countries that will join the programme.
