The Prime Minister visited the renovated Egaleo Health Center, highlighting the upgrade of National Health System through the Recovery Fund and the strengthening of prevention.
The upgrade of public health structures is entering a new phase of implementation, with the Egaleo Health Center emerging as a prime example of the broader strategy to strengthen Primary Care, during the visit by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which highlighted the role of investments from the Recovery Fund in the modernization of the National Health System and the move toward relieving the burden on hospitals through stronger local structures. With extensive interventions in infrastructure, equipment, and staffing, the Aigaleo facility now serves as a model for the provision of comprehensive health services to tens of thousands of residents of Western Athens, while also incorporating prevention and screening programs into its daily operations.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Aigaleo Health Center, one of the 110 Health Centers across Greece that have already been renovated and upgraded with funds from the Recovery Fund, as part of the modernization of primary care infrastructure and, more broadly, the National Health System.
The tour of the facility
The Prime Minister was given a tour of the facility, had the opportunity to speak with employees, and was briefed on the plant’s capabilities. Thanks to the extensive building renovation and energy efficiency upgrades that were carried out, the Aegaleo Health Center, whose building permit was issued in 1983, now provides comprehensive diagnostic, treatment, and follow-up; it has physicians in all major specialties and also participates in preventive initiatives, such as the “Prolavano” screening program.
“We have said many times that our commitment to deliver, by the end of our term, a National Health System that is much better than the one we inherited is being realized step by step,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted at the end of his visit.
The renovations carried out at the Health Center, which covers 2,500 square meters, include thermal insulation of the rooms, the installation of new window frames, the installation of new flooring, the complete renovation of the restrooms, the replacement of laboratory furniture, and the upgrade of the electrical systems.
The Aigaleo Health Center, which has seen its staff expanded in recent years, serves a population of over 65,000 residents, covering many areas of Western Athens. Last year, it received more than 57,000 outpatient visits, while more than 90,000 laboratory and diagnostic tests were performed.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: We are sending a message that citizens must trust primary healthcare facilities
Concluding his visit, the Prime Minister stated: “A few years ago, residents of Aigaleo and neighboring municipalities remember this Health Center being in very poor condition.
Today, visitors will see that the four million euros spent from the Recovery Fund have truly made a difference. We’re talking about a state-of-the-art urban health center that covers all basic medical specialties, is equipped with all the necessary diagnostic equipment, and, of course, is staffed to cover all the basic specialties.
In this way, we are sending a message that citizens should trust primary care facilities and not immediately go to the Emergency Departmentsat our major hospitals.
The Health Center here is open until 9:00 p.m., and I can assure you handle the vast majority of all cases that come here for medical care.
We have said many times that our commitment to deliver, by the end of our term, a National Health System that is much better than the one we inherited is being fulfilled step by step.
And as the Recovery Fund is now nearing completion, we will very soon be able to take stock of the significant upgrade to the National Health System’s infrastructure, whether we’re talking about Emergency Departments, Health Centers, or new initiatives in primary care, mental health, and public health initiatives funded by the Recovery Fund.
I would like to make special mention of preventive screenings, specifically the “Prolavano” program, which truly represents a major breakthrough in the way we view the health of our fellow citizens, and I would like to once again urge citizens to take advantage of this free service provided by the NationalHealth System, with funding now secured for the coming years as well.
So, congratulations the new Health Center here in Aigaleo, and I am confident that as the residents of Aigaleo, Agia Varvara, and Haidari become more familiar with it, they will come to trust it more and more.”
For her part, Deputy Minister of Health Irini Agapidakis noted: “Today we are delivering a very important project, worth over four million, with the renovation of the Aigaleo Health Center. It has also been equipped with new medical equipment.
All the “Prolavo” programs are currently active here. Citizens can come in for free checkups, receive dental care, and be seen by a cardiologist or even an ophthalmologist, a range of specialties that were not available previously.
This is accompanied, therefore, the energy upgrade and renovation with both staff and additional services related to mental health and young couples, so that citizens can receive holistic care.”
The President of the Aigaleo Health Center, Ilias Mandros, stated: “Let us welcome our President, the Prime Minister of the country, Mr. Mitsotakis, to the Aigaleo Health Center. We are very grateful for everything he has done for the Health Center.
As you can see, the building has undergone energy efficiency upgrades and structural renovations. Permanent medical and paramedical staff have been hired. We expect support staff to be hired in the coming days.
This is a major project that will benefit the residents of the Municipality of Aigaleo, as well as those in the surrounding areas and the neighboring municipalities of Agia Varvara and Haidari.
This is an innovative initiative, for which we are very grateful, because the daily lives of the citizens here truly needed it. With your government, we are seeing a significant result. It’s the best that could be done, and we’re satisfied with it.”
