The Minister of Health, Thanos Plevris, has visited the Oncologic Unit of Children “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” on Tuesday, March 15th 2022.
The President of “ELPIDA- Association of Friends of Children with Cancer” Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis and the Director of the Children’s Hospital “The Agia Sofia” and “P.&A. Kyriakou”, Mr. Manolis Papasavvas, have welcomed Mr. Plevris.
Mrs. Vardinoyannis has thanked Mr. Plevris for his initiative to visit the children of “ELPIDA”, pointing out how important is, the support of the country at the work of the Oncologic Unit.
Mrs. Vardinoyannis has also in details informed Mr. Plevris about the initiative undertaken by “ELPIDA” to take over the carriage, medical assistance and hospitality of the children with cancer with their families, from Ukraine.
“This period that, Europe is attacked from the war at Ukraine, our thoughts are with the civilian population and especially with the children with cancer who had suffered from the cancer especially during the decades from the Chernobyl accident until to date. That’s why we cannot stand idles when we hear about the sick children who are hospitalized and their life is in danger from the attacks at the civil centers where the hospitals are located. Our efforts to bring 30 sick children and their parents at the Oncologic Hospital and at the Guest House of ELPIDA, are going on and hope that, will be shortly completed. Your presence here today, is giving us the opportunity to send a strong message of solidarity from our country to this multi-suffered people and to the children. The hug of “ELPIDA” is open and we wait to welcome them here”, Mrs. Vardinogiannis said.
The Director of the Children’s Hospital “The Agia Sofia” and “P.&A. Kyriakou”, Mr. Manolis Papasavvas, has informed the Minister of Health about the steps that, have been taken so that, the children from Ukraine to arrive safe in our country and have the best possible treatment from the Oncologic Unit of Children. He also presented in details the work of Unit emphasizing the huge support and continuous battle of “ELPIDA” for the children with cancer and their families.
Mrs. Vardinoyannis has thereafter awarded to Mr. Plevris, the honorary plaque of Association “ELPIDA”, the remembrance of Association “ORAMA ELPIDAS” and have placed together on “the wall of stars of ELPIDA”, the star with his name.
Mrs. Plevris thanked for the great honor saying that, as a Minister will help the work of “ELPIDA” while he has assured Mrs. Vardinoyannis that, the Ministry of Health will support her initiative for the transportation and care of children with cancer from Ukraine: “the honor made to me is an honor for which I am not worthy in the meaning that, your work all these years is something that, it does any Minister of Health who is here to feel shameless because it is actually a work that, we, as Sate, should have secured, because the basic principle of health is, the equal access to health services. During those 32 years acting with a holistic way and innovations you have in fact secured that, all children who suffer from cancer, broth in our country and elsewhere, have an equal access to the therapy regardless their financial position. We, as a State, shall try to stand next to you and we shall offer, in the best possible way, any help to the children that you wait from Ukraine.
I was really admiring, as a civilian, the work that you are doing all these years and now as a Minister, I will try, to the extent possible, to put a little stone at this great effort”.
Mr. Plevris went thereafter all around the Oncologic Unit of Children and was in details informed from Doctors and nurses for the way of Unit’s operation and has also visited the Center of Cell and Gene Therapy which is the most advanced center for the medical handling of cancer and is a donation of “ELPIDA”.
