On Friday, 13 September 2024, the Deputy Minister of National Defence Giannis Kefalogiannis attended the event “The Naval Hospital of Athens’s Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit Assisting with the Demographic Crisis of Greece”, which was organised by the Naval Hospital of Athens’s Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit.
The event, which took place at the Athens Armed Forces Officers’ Club, was attended by the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Ms. Sofia Zacharaki, the Deputy Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Georgios Floros HN, as representative of the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, the Director of the Naval Hospital of Athens, Commodore (MD) Sotirios Moraitis HN, the Director of the Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit, Captain (MD) Nikolaos Petrogiannis HN, as well as representatives of the Armed Forces and the academic community.
The Deputy Minister stressed that the Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit is a model of joint cooperation, giving joy to dozens of couples who had difficulties in their effort to become parents. The empathy and sensitivity with which patients are approached by the Unit’s personnel, combined with the excellent scientific skills and modern and innovative methods implemented, have contributed to an increase of birth rates, having encouraging results for many patients and contributing to the national effort to mitigate the complex issue of birth rate decline. At the same time, he stressed the contribution of the Armed Forces to the Greek family’s effort to have children, by providing both benefits to new parents, such as special leaves, as well as motives, such as the creation of numerous child care centres.
In his address, the Deputy Minister of National Defence stated, among others:
“It is a great honour and pleasure to be here at the Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit Event. A model Unit, not only for Armed Forces standards, but also for the standards of public and private healthcare structures. In this framework, I would like to congratulate those who contributed to the implementation and effective operation of this Unit.
Medically Assisted Reproduction is an area of obstetric gynaecology that has seen rapid progress during the past decades. The increase of the age of giving birth, combined with various other medical issues, are the main causes of infertility, resulting in many couples being unable to have children. This results in those couples having to pay high, often unaffordable costs. And it’s not just the financial cost. Fertility treatments are very stressful for both parents, but mainly for women undergoing IVF. These difficulties are further exacerbated for our fellow citizens living in areas far from Athens. Especially for residents in remote islands, the cost is significant at both financial, as well as professional and family level.
The Hellenic National Defence General Staff, being aware of this, supports those couples’ efforts. Supporting family is one of the main pillars of the National Action Plan for the Demographic Crisis. The Armed Forces contribute with actions to the Greek family’s effort to have children, by providing both benefits to new parents, such as special leaves, as well as motives, such as the creation of numerous child care centres. With the above in mind and honouring the traditions of our country, which has always supported family, it is everyone’s responsibility and duty to use all means available to support the effort to increase birth rates.
Deputy Chief, the Naval Hospital of Athens’s Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit is a model of joint cooperation, as well as the capstone of personnel welfare in the Armed Forces. The Unit has had a positive contribution to child-bearing rates and provided a solution to a very sensitive issue. The empathy and sensitivity with which patients are approached by the Unit’s personnel, combined with the excellent scientific skills and modern and innovative methods implemented, have contributed to an increase of birth rates, having encouraging results for many patients. At the same time, it is an exemplary initiative at a time when the demographic crisis is of particular concern to the State.
The Ministry of National Defence and the Armed Forces, within the framework of social contribution, provide healthcare to numerous islands and remote areas, while at the same time informing patients of their ability to visit the Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit, free of charge, to receive the services provided by such a modern reference centre. As Ministry of National Defence, we are committed to support such efforts, since the Armed Forces have the values, knowledge, dynamics, and will to succeed and excel in the area of medically assisted reproduction, mitigating the complex issue of birth rate decline.
Dear Director, please accept my congratulations for the Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit, a project that has given joy to dozens of parents who had difficulties in their effort to become parents. I would also like to congratulate all personnel of the Unit who work tirelessly in service of such a noble cause. Allow me to say to everyone here that, within the framework of my visits to border Formations, I will soon visit areas where children were born through IVF. It is our duty to highlight your great efforts everyday and promote your work. Within this framework, a memorandum has been signed between the Hellenic Navy General Staff and HOPEgenesis to provide a multitude of great benefits to the residents of 24 remote islands, such as the costs of pregnancy, childbirth, and accommodation.
At this point, I would like to thank the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Ms. Sofia Zacharaki, both for attending this event, as well as for her support for the successful operation of this Unit. Given her responsibilities, we have developed a particularly fruitful cooperation with the Minister, focusing on actions having a positive effect on the families of Armed Forces personnel.
Ladies and Gentlemen, once again congratulations for your creditable efforts. I encourage you to continue your noble social work and I assure you that we will always be by your side”.
