Have Hepatitis and are uninsured? It’s going to get interesting!

Press Release

Have Hepatitis and are uninsured?  It’s going to get interesting!

Are you suffering from hepatitis and you’re uninsured.  You’re out of luck!!  But, take comfort, you’re not alone….  This is the sweet message that the Greek Ministry of Health seems to be giving; we confess it makes no sense to us either.   

On 11 March, we sent to the Ministry of Health, and also to the General Secretariat of the Government an urgent letter asking them to find a solution for eight hepatitis patients who have come to our door.  We also sent notification regarding the eight by fax to the office of the Minister of Health as well as communicating the problem to them in person.  It is a problem that seriously affects public health.  We haven’t gotten a response as yet.

Unfortunately, our clinic cannot provide these patients with the extremely expensive medication that they need, without fail.  So these people are facing dire complications and there is a lurking danger that they may transmit their disease to others as well.

We are therefore pleading once more with the Ministry of Health – and this time publicly - for what should be OBVIOUS.  That these people must be given the proper medical attention at once and there should be a commitment by the Ministry that other such cases will be covered by the Greek Public Health System.  Doing otherwise puts our society in great danger.  This attitude by the Ministry is not only insensitive, but is also astonishingly irresponsible policy.  Patients with serious and contagious diseases cannot be ignored.

Here is a translation of the message that was sent by e-mail and fax on 11 March 2014 to the Greek Ministry of Health.

——- Forwarded message ———-

 From: Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helleniko <mkiellinikou@gmail.com>

 Date: 2014-03-11 15:36 GMT+02:00

 Subject: Emergency appeal for medication for patients with hepatitis Β and hepatitis C

 To: minister@yyka.gov.gr, Adonis Georgiadis <g-adonis@otenet.gr>

 Cc: gge@ggk.gr

    Helliniko 11/03/2014

TO THE HEALTH MINISTRY OF GREECE / Minister of Health, Mr. Andoni Georgiadi

COPY TO: Office of the Secretary General, Minister of Health

COPY TO: General Secretariat of the Government

   

SUBJECT: Emergency appeal for medication for patients with hepatitis Β and

hepatitis C

Mister Minister,

The Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko makes an urgent appeal for the immediate attention to the very serious issue treatment of patients with active hepatitis B or C.  Uninsured patients do not systematically receive their treatment regimen.  They may receive it sporadically or not at all.  And this has consequences for themselves and for the community as a whole.  Treating the disease with Copegus and Pegasys inj is impossible for uninsured/indigent patients because of its cost.  The voluntary community clinics often find it impossible to supply this specific therapy.

The problem usually concerns young people, and creates a chain reaction of problems for the patients themselves and for the community as a whole.  It should promptly be given the appropriate solution, which is access to the correct drug therapy.

The question of these specific drugs was put to you in our visit to the ministry in January 2014, as well as in our written appeal.

Currently, we have eight patients battling these illnesses.  It is impossible for either them, or us to cover the expenses of these medications.  We –they – need your immediate help.

At your service,

Vassiliki Iliopoulou

For the Coordinating Committee of MCCH

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CLINIC AT HELLINIKO 

  Working Hours
(MONDAY - FRIDAY 10:00 - 20:00)  and (SATURDAY 10:00 - 14:00) 
CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: +30 210 9631950 
ADDRESS: Inside the old American Military Base, 200m away from the Traffic Police of the Municipality of Helleniko, next to the Cultural Center of Helleniko
Post code TK16777, Elliniko, Attiki, Greece 
Blog http://mkie-foreign.blogspot.gr/ Email mkiellinikou@gmail.com