From the beginning of the pandemic we had asked the government for two things to deal with the epidemiological crisis in the region: the support of the NSS and the strengthening of society and the economy.
In this direction, we proposed specific measures, general but also more specific:
- Permanent recruitment of health executives and strengthening of the budget for Health
- Focus on stopping the virus, primary prevention, strengthening case tracking and detection structures.
- Acceleration of vaccinations by resorting to other suppliers
- Universal and free tests in mass workplaces
- Non-repayable financing to all industries that have suffered turnover reductions
- Emergency income to support households
- Employment subsidy and not unemployment, to cover insurance costs at 100% and work at 40%
- Abolition of excise duty on oil for farmers
- Support for the long-term unemployed, freelancers and workers in culture and sports
- While finally, We have worked out a plan for debt settlement - created in the pandemic- which will be announced in the coming days.
Unfortunately, we were not heard and today the Kozani PE completes almost six months with the toughest restrictive measures in Greece, in a country, in fact, has the most universal and most ineffective lockdown in Europe in terms of a combination of indicators including health management, financial support and the rule of law.
instead, have been noted in the area:
- Weakening of NSS structures: zero recruitment of permanent health executives resulting in hospital staff, with the admirable self-denial they have shown, to have reached their limits.
- Accelerated transfer of staff from primary units to hospitals, resulting in gaps in the TOPFY and under-functioning of regional clinics
- Artificial ΄΄creation΄΄ M.E.TH. and M.A.F.. without the proper staff to operate them
- Transfer of incidents to other Regional Units
- ΄΄Mon-thematic΄΄ hospitals without adequate care for chronic and other diseases
- Upcoming closure of a psychiatric clinic, at an obvious cost to patients and their families
- Insufficient measures to support the economy: From its non-accession 90% of the companies of Western Macedonia in the program of the Region, the exclusion of entire branches from the aid scheme due to closure during the festive season, to 500-1000 euros to be given at the end of May for small businesses that remain closed by state order in April.
- Alongside, Citizens are subject to repeated surprises by closing their shops one working day before they open, the popular markets the night before and so on..
The result is one and unquestionable as the region has the highest epidemiological burden in the country since the beginning of the pandemic, while support measures are meager, inadequate and ineffective.
The government has completely failed.
The same time, those in charge, from the Prime Minister to the Ministers, are constantly charged with individual liability, deliberately ignoring their own enormous responsibilities and oligarchies.
We got to the point of hearing yesterday the impartial and insulting statements of the Minister of Development and. Georgiadis, that the citizens of PE must see. Kozani what are they doing wrong, while he also blamed the "depression" of the square (!).
The situation would be for laughs, if it were not for crying.
The truth is one: The inhabitants of the region apply the measures of individual and collective protection to the same degree as the rest of the country, however, the situation in P.E.. Kozani is significantly busier, so mismanagement is central.
The government should have given solutions and not blamed, to do its duty and not to constantly transfer responsibilities. He can't do it, Nevertheless, because he is constantly moving with "seeing and doing", without a plan, without compass, based solely on its political survival.
Even yesterday, at the government meeting with the local authorities, institutional and productive bodies - to which I was not invited – government officials had no specific proposals, nor committed to opening up the market with specialized support measures.
Alongside, the reasonable question arises: how they discount the opening of the retail trade - without having taken effective measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic- effectively marginalizing the scientific committee of the Ministry of Health;
The conclusion is one: beyond the insecurity for their health, the citizens of Kozani, are facing financial suffocation, alien management and an uncertain future.
Locals need to know exactly what is to blame for the nightmarish pandemic failure and, alongside, to be effectively protected. A special epidemiological study is needed to highlight the causes of record cases in the Kozani Regional Government and to adopt immediate measures to limit the spread of the virus..
Alongside, I call on them to be very careful, observe the protection and distancing measures, to take care of themselves, their families and public health.
Finally, I call on them to pay even more attention, even greater individual responsibility.
Because government responsibility, that is, prevention, supporting and strengthening health structures, of society, employees, of the unemployed and businesses, is absent.
Calliope Vetta
Member of Parliament for SYRIZA PS P.E.. Kozani
