Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the extension of the “Light Births” screening program for breast cancer to women aged 45-74, from the 50-69 years that were up to now, at the meeting he had on Wednesday morning (25.10) at Megaro Maximou with women on the occasion of World Breast Cancer Day.
The prime minister referred to the “Fofi Gennimata” program, commenting that the results are already very important. “More than 300 thousand women have used this service, the free MRI mammography that we provide to women, and we have already detected more than 15 thousand cases of breast cancer, most of them early, therefore with a very good prognosis in terms of their treatment”.
Women who are dealing with breast cancer intervened in the discussion and testified about their experiences, while the Deputy Minister of Health, Irini Agapidaki, was also appointed. To date, the “Fofi Gennimata” program addresses 1.3 million women aged 50-69 and provides a free digital mammogram, a free examination by a specialist and a free ultrasound. The Committee of Public Health Experts (PHC) examined the revision of the age limits in accordance with the new European guidelines and in the near future an sms will also be sent to the new beneficiaries, in the 45 to 74-year-old group.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: The message about breast cancer“I am glad that you are with us today, to have a discussion about an action to which I attach great importance and I refer to the preventive program for the treatment of breast cancer that we named after the late Fofi Gennimata. It is a program that has already been run in our country with very important results, where more than 300 thousand women have made use of this service, the free MRI mammography that we provide to women, and we have already detected more than 15 thousand cases of breast cancer breast, the most early ones, therefore with a very good prognosis in terms of their treatment”, emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“I understand the fear of a woman going for an examination, but let women also know that the earlier they find a finding, the better it will be for their prognosis. From here I want to send a very important prevention message that we want to convey,” continued the Prime Minister.
“Prevention helped me so much that I caught something very bad. I was only 42 years old at the time, when I felt something while I was taking a bath and I ran straight to do the examination, with a lot of fear at first and even in Agios Savvas which is also a public hospital. I think that this specific program is very important because where you are sitting, you get the notification on your mobile phone to go take the exam. And it is very pleasant that while you have learned to take care of everyone and everything, you see that there is also someone, which is the state, and you are pleasantly surprised by all this, which takes care of you for the first time”. noted Eleni Kolofotia, in the context of the discussion that took place at Megaros Maximos.
“We have enormous confidence in the National Health System and especially in our major cancer hospitals, which really do a wonderful job and presumably provide the best possible treatment in very difficult cases. I also want to tell you that in Greece we are extremely generous with the anti-cancer drugs and treatments we provide, giving our patients access to the most expensive and most modern treatments. The difference of this program is that the possibility is given for a public health provision in which the private sector can also participate”. Kyriakos Mitsotakis then pointed out and added: “That’s why I think that this public-private partnership, provided there is no burden on the patient, the state pays in the end and it’s under state control and under state care, is a logic that I believe in and it can work well.”
“I had a history from my mom and I started when I was 39, now I’m 58, so I do my preventive check every year without fail. I believe that the program that has started now in our country is the best because it motivates women. As long as they are not afraid, because most of them are. Others are afraid because it has a little pain, others are ashamed. I think it’s the best help the state could give women right now in order to reduce breast cancer mortality.”said Athanasia Georgiou during the debate, with Kyriakos Mitsotakis noting: “My mother also had breast cancer and I remember then the courage with which she spoke about the disease and faced it, because she had many health problems and she was very familiar with it and she never felt that she herself was a victim of fate, the ones that can someone to say when an illness happens to him. She struggled and got to her feet. And I remember when she spoke for the first time about breast cancer, at a time when we didn’t dare to utter the word cancer, she was “the infinite”. We didn’t talk about the problem at all. And how much strength I think it gave to many women back then to get out of that confinement of fear, get the test done and then obviously seek medical help as well. But it really is a sin to lose lives from preventable diseases.”
Maria Karamaliki described her own experience: “I have had two surgeries. Unfortunately now my sister has an adventure. The point is that I have the “Doxiadis” program as a gift to myself. It has helped us. I went to “Agios Savvas”, I immediately found an appointment, I had no problem with the appointment. Now I’m being watched at “Elena”, again I had no problem with appointments. The appointments are direct and that is very important. Because the “Doxiadis” program helps women a lot. And I can say that I am saved. Especially on “Agios Savvas” I was surprised. And especially in “Elena” there is a whole section about the breast”.
Irini Kassandrinou mentioned the problems faced by cancer patients: “What I have to say is that the doctors of “Agiou Savva” are performing an operation, they are not paid for what they do. I will just say that there are many things missing in public health. The nursing staff is missing, which works too many shifts. I stayed in the two surgeries for 15 days, in the third surgery for 40 days. The same people. Also, what I want to say is that “Agios Savvas”, because it is a special case, that is, the nursing staff must be inside, they must know the cancer patients. It is also very important that there are no appointments. That is, I did the restoration after three years. Or has no beds to be made. I think we should look at these.”
“We recognized this from the first moment and that is why in the annual planning of recruitments that we approved in the Ministry a few days ago, we allocated 6,500 recruitments for health for 2024”replied Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “Greater emphasis will be placed on nursing staff. And of course we also know very well how difficult the conditions are and how we must use all the tools at our disposal to be able to improve the benefits in the National Health System and the increases, some of which we have made to doctors. Special allowances, so that we don’t lose doctors and nurses in the private sector, because something like this is very important.”
