Today, Thursday 28 May 2026, the Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, represented the Prime Minister at the inauguration of the renovated One Day Clinic Ward on the 4th floor of the Naval Hospital of Athens, which took place in the presence of the President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas. The renovation of the Ward, at a total cost of €716,838, is a
donation of Honorary Rear Admiral Panaghiotis Laskaridis.

The One Day Clinic on the fourth floor of the Naval Hospital of Athens is an important addition to the medical capabilities of the Hellenic Navy and an important upgrade to the healthcare services provided to the personnel and other beneficiaries of the Hospital. Its operation allows the performance of diagnostic and treatment procedures and the safe monitoring of patients (of the Oncology, Rheumatology, Haematology, Allergy, Neurology, and Endocrinology Clinics) without the need for hospitalisation, thus reducing the time spent by patients at the hospital and significantly speeding up the processing of cases. At the same time, it helps reduce the burden on the Clinics and the Emergency Department, optimise the use of medical personnel, and overall increase the Hospital's operational readiness. It is a modern facility, in line with international medical practice standards, and capable of dealing with the increasing needs of modern healthcare.

The ceremony was also attended by MP Dimitris Keridis as representative of the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis, the Deputy Minister of National Defence Thanasis Davakis, MP, former Minister of National Defence, and Honorary Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis (ret.), the Donor Panaghiotis Laskaridis and his family, and Honorary Commodore and member of the War Museum Board of Directors, Evangelos Angelakos.

On behalf of the military leadership, the ceremony was attended by the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras HN, the Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Lieutenant General (HAF) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the Chief of Staff of the Hellenic Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Konstantinos Karamanidis, as representative of the Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, and the Commander in Chief of the Hellenic Fleet, Vice Admiral Christos Sasiakos HN.

The ceremony was also attended by the Director of the Naval Hospital of Athens, Commodore (MD) Georgios Katsimaglis HN, Honorary Chiefs, Armed Forces officers and NCOs, and medical personnel of the Naval Hospital of Athens.

The blessing and the inauguration ceremony were officiated by the Right Reverend Bishop of Christoupolis, Archimandrite Mr. Varnavas.

Mr. Dendias, in his address for the inauguration ceremony, stated the following:

“Your Excellency, Mr. President,

It is a great pleasure to attend today the inauguration ceremony of the One Day Clinic, another donation by the Laskaridis Family. I must say that the Laskaridis name is among the few names that the Hellenic Navy, when it needs anything, can call for help, either for know-how, material assistance, or for the management of situations where their immense knowledge, within the framework of Greek shipping, can be of use.

Allow me, Mr. President, to focus on the example that is set here, which is much more important than the donation itself. Although the donation is by no means small, as Mr. Laskaridis tried to downplay in his well-known modesty.

We are a small country, we have a large budget at the Ministry of National Defence through the sacrifices of the Greek people. But, I can't hide it from you, it is not enough. It is not enough.

Moreover, all the lengthy procedures, which are largely necessary in order to protect public funds, lead to another level of difficulty when it comes to implementing various corrective interventions, which are absolutely necessary to support the personnel, both in terms of morale, as well as in terms of standard of living and health.

Consequently, the efforts made through various, though not many, donations, and I will revisit this matter – it is a great pleasure to see Mr. Evangelos Angelatos here today – have a great multiplication effect. It is not about the event itself. It is about the timing of this improvement. And it is a fact that great efforts have been made through donations to the broader Hospital
System of the Armed Forces, dear Minister of Health – on the occasion, I very much appreciate your presence – in order to be able to support the Armed Forces personnel in their service to the country.

This is also an important part of the “Agenda 2030”: the support to the personnel. And in this framework, I would also like to thank the Director and the doctors, the personnel of the Naval Hospital, for supporting the Hellenic Navy personnel and others.

I am returning to the broader need to support the work of the Armed Forces through donations. I will not mention known facts from our ancient Greek tradition, how the Athenian Democracy was largely based on donations to create its navy which enabled it to win wars.

Greek shipping, I am referring to Greek shipping because it is the largest in the world and perhaps the richest in the world, includes many shipowners, and conditions lately have blessed Greek shipowners, praise be to God, and we wish them all the best, with extraordinary results.

Some Greek shipowners help us. I want to be kind and say a good few, but not as many as we need. I kindly urge more of them to step up. The country has responded to this most important professional class. Law 28/67, Legislative Decree 26/87 of ’53 on the Protection of Overseas Investments, Emergency Law 89 of ’67, Law 27 of ’75 on Ship Taxation.

The Hellenic State, the country, has created an excellent framework. Perfect? Perhaps not, but an excellent framework, a unique framework to protect shipping activity based in Greece. But it’s high time now, because the country is in need. It is in need because there is a threat.

And if sometimes we forget, our neighbours are nice enough, like yesterday, to remind us and remind us “expressis verbis”. Clearly. They don't imply. They tell. The threat is sent.

Because there is a threat, there is a need to bring the Armed Forces to a level, like today, that will enable them to keep functioning as a deterrent. This is necessary in order to allow everyone else to live in peace and go about our other duties.

Mr. Laskaridis, we are again grateful. We kindly thank the Foundation, you, and your family. And thank you in particular for the example you set.”