The new digital and decentralized model of primary care health (PCH), which brings the doctor closer to citizens’ homes, was presented by Eirini Agapidakis.
The creation of a new model of primary health care, with an emphasis on home care, telemedicine, and the strengthening of Mobile Health Teams (KOMY), was the focus of the speech by Deputy Minister of Health, Eirini Agapidakis, at the 5th EODY Public Health Conference on the topic “Current Challenges and Prospects in Public Health.”
Ms. Agapidakis announced that the process of merging, at the operational level, of the Mobile Health Teams, the Mobile Units of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and the Telemedicine Network, while a joint operations center is being established at Attiko Hospital. As he noted, this initiative will enable the provision of home-based medical care and hospitalization, while a pilot program for at-home oncology care and chemotherapy is already underway in the 1st Health Region.
He made special mention of the potential of telemedicine, noting that it can serve citizens even in remote areas by conducting specialized remote examinations. He also emphasized that the traditional model of primary care, in which the patient visits healthcare facilities, has now run its course, as modern social conditions require more proactive interventions and services that reach out to citizens.
Focus on strengthening EODY
The Deputy Minister particularly emphasized the importance of cooperation with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), noting that joint actions and guidelines have received international recognition. At the same time, she emphasized the need for further investment in the human resources of EODY, emphasizing that the future of healthcare is directly linked to strengthening public health and prevention.
Referring to the digitization of the healthcare system, Ms. Agapidakis pointed out that the reforms currently being implemented will generate valuable data and tools for designing more effective policies in the coming years.
The Climate Crisis and Chronic Diseases
A significant portion of the speech was devoted to the impacts of the climate crisis on public health. Ms. Agapidakis pointed out that rising temperatures and changing weather affect both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, leading to increased pressure on emergency departments and hospitals.
As he noted, the frequency of hospitalizations among patients with chronic respiratory diseases is a particular cause for concern; in Greece, these patients may require as many as two or three hospitalizations per year. In this context, he described the Mobile Health Teams as a key tool for monitoring and supporting patients who live alone or lack adequate access to health services.
In closing her remarks, the Deputy Minister of Health emphasized that the country must address the challenges of an aging population, the climate crisis, and the growing burden of chronic diseases, with the goal of keeping patients in the community and reducing the need for repeated hospitalizations.
