In a just-published press release from Heraklion MP Dr. Nikos E. Igoumenidis, the cardiologist parliamentarian lambasts the Mitsotakis administration over Heraklion, Crete’s current coronavirus “red” status.
According to the Syriza representative of Crete’s biggest city says the current Greek administration has totally failed the citizens of Heraklion. Igoumenidis says the return to hard lockdown should not have been necessary, and that the government’s strategy is deeply flawed. More specifically, Igoumenidis calls for the following immediate actions:
- To immediately begin extensive tracking , mass testing of the community, especially vulnerable groups, as well as citizens in crowded places (schools, workplaces, etc.), and, depending on the results, targeted measures. Key to the cardiologist’s suggested strategy is a serious change in the terms of health-safe operation of the “hotbeds” of over-transmission, instead of the horizontal closure of society.
- He calls for accelerated vaccinations for the population of Heraklion.
- To reverse and prevent the further generalized compression of the operation of the public health system.
- To relieve the pressure of PAGNI and Venizelio hospitals from the burden of vaccinations, and to transfer the load to primary health care (PHC).
- To open all the vaccination centers in the health centers of Heraklion, in the TOMY of the city, in the Multipurpose clinic of Tympaki.
- Immediately establish and operate the other TOMY in Heraklion (1 unit / 10,000 inhabitants) as well as the regional clinics in Stavies, in Vagionia and Matala, and to upgrade the doctor’s office in Agioi Deka.
- And to undertake permanent recruitments to cover the shortages in human resources, in all the clinics (not only in Covid ) and the ICUs of the hospitals PAGNI and Venizelio, as well as the respective shortages in the structures of the PHC.
Igoumenidis goes on to suggest that the current administration has been derelict in protecting Greece’s tourism industry, which is key to the already damaged economy. He says the administration’s policies have been derelict for some time, and that PM Mitsotakis is attempting to sweep under the rug, these deficiencies.
As of 6 am this morning, Heraklion is condition “red” for new coronavirus cases. The city was only a few days ago, one of the main “green” cities in Europe.
