Helliniko 10 January 2013
Particularly
decisive was the contribution of the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko. Their efforts could be the origin of the
creation of a wider European network that helps ensure the inalienable human
right of free access to the public health system, especially for the socially
vulnerable.
After
productive contact with medical organizations and institutions abroad, and through
repeated visits to the MCCH by foreign journalists, researchers foreign
universities, doctors and ordinary citizens we achieved the following:
The
first resolution of solidarity and support of the French physicians of Hospital
Mental Health EPS de Ville Evrard, was issued on 20 November 2012. This has now
been followed by a call from the European Network for the establishment of a
network of many community organizations in Europe, who propose to support the
efforts of all community and free clinics in Greece in their daily struggle to
provide health care to those who lack access to the public health system.
The
efforts of MCCH have resulted in not just another resolution of support, but a
cascade of measures from organizations around the globe committed to a common
purpose: "freedom of access to healthcare and social care every
citizen-insured or uninsured, wealthy or needy '
The
resolution follows:
A call from the European
Network to the Social Solidarity Clinics in Greece against the privatization
and commercialization of health and social protection
Today
in Greece, one of the sectors where the most vulnerable suffer the consequences
of austerity policies is in health-care. During the last two years, one third of public
hospital services have dissolved. For
example Thessaloniki, a city of one million inhabitants, has removed
approximately 1 000 hospital beds. 8 000
have been removed in the entire country. One third of the population no longer has
insurance coverage. For them, as for
many others, access to the public health system has become impossible.
At
the same time, working conditions have worsened. Unemployment has risen exponentially and health
workers in employment have seen their salaries reduced sometimes up to 50% (note - the previous sentence very confusing
in the original Greek – you think it’s talking about all employment, then in
the last two words of a rather long sentence, it seems this is referring to
health workers alone)
Demonstrating
a criminal blindness, international authorities (IMF, ECB, European Commission)
continue to require more and as soon as possible.
Faced
with this worsening situation, individual citizens have organized social solidarity
clinics (such as MCCH) operated by volunteers who are actively fighting everyday
to improve the situation.
These
volunteer operated clinics are not only facing an influx of people excluded
from the national health service, but also a lack of resources to completely
cover their needs.
The European Network is
against the privatization and commercialization of health care and social
protection. It declares its absolute
support to the Greek people, the primary victims of austerity politics. It does so first by actively reacting against
and opposing the political philosophy which now dominates most of Europe. A reaction which we see on both national but
also European levels. This will be
triggered by the meeting of the leading nations on the May 13-14, 2013, which
will include national governments as well as pan-European organizations and
will deal specifically with the dire consequences of austerity in the filed of
health care. Another reaction to the
philosophy of austerity will lead to an attitude of solidarity which will
finally manifest itself in the creation of local community clinics for the
victimized. The Network calls upon its
members as well as all collectives, unions and political organizations
struggling to defend the right to a free and universal health care system to
show their solidarity in this.
