The Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos inaugurated the modern Joint Cardiac Surgery Clinic of the 401 Military Hospital of Athens, at the presence of the Deputy Ministers Mr. Panaghiotis Karambelas and Mr. Dimitris Elefsiniotis, the leadership of the Armed Forces, personnel of all three branches and many retired personnel.

At his speech, the Minister of National Defence, after pointing out that the operation of the modern Cardiac Surgery Clinic will decisively contribute to improving the quality in the field of health in the Armed Forces, referred to the critical period, as far as the fiscal situation is concerned, our country is experiencing, stressing out the following:

“In order to be able to endure this rough course, we should enhance civil protection policies, promoting achievements such as the modern cardiac surgery clinic we are inaugurating today. It is a declared and non-negotiable goal of the current Government and this specific political and military leadership to restore this social protection network during these difficult times, so as to support our personnel and offer them further endurance so as to overcome the hard times and, as soon as the Greek society will prevail over these straits and Greek society will stand on its feet, be certain that the Country and the Government have complete awareness and what is due will be reimbursed”.

Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos also pointed out that: “the operation of this Joint clinic with staff from all three branches of the Armed Forces is an achievement of jointness, a feature much emphasized by both the political and military leadership”.

The Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Panaghiotis Karambelas expressed his thanks to the Minister Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos for, as he said since the first days he assumed duty, he approved the development of Joint Clinics, that will be the refuge of the Armed Forces’ personnel, on active duty or retired. And he underlined: “I would also like to personally thank you and Mr. Prime Minister for the funds approved for the hospitals’ liabilities, as well as for other credits allocated for the rationalization of Share Funds”.

The Joint Cardiac Surgery Clinic of the 401 General Military Hospital of Athens has two modern operating rooms, a cardiac ICU of a 6-bed capacity and a nursing department of a 16-bed capacity; it will be on a 24-hour duty in order to cover the scheduled cases, but also all emergencies, while it will have the possibility to perform one to two cardiac surgeries every day.