The Prime Minister, accompanied by Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Deputy Minister Mario Themistokleous, was given a tour by the director of the affiliated “Sismanogleio - Amalia Fleming” and Penteli Children’s Hospital, Zoi Rakopoulou, through the upgraded operating rooms and clinics, where he had the opportunity to speak with the medical and nursing staff, as well as with hospitalized children and their parents.
“You have completed an extremely demanding renovation, which has essentially transformed a dilapidated hospital—one that had not undergone any significant renovations for many decades—into a brand-new, state-of-the-art pediatric hospital,” the Prime Minister noted during his speech at the opening ceremony.
As part of the project, which was carried out with a donation of 4.5 million euros from the Kaizen Foundation, the hospital’s surrounding area was also renovated—including a playground—and new equipment was acquired for hospital care —including care for children and infants—with a toilet provided in every hospital room, while significant fire safety improvements were also implemented, such as the installation of fire-resistant doors in the wards.
Referring to the upgrade projects underway at facilities across all levels of the public health system, Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized: “More than 150 Health Centers were funded and fully upgraded by the Recovery Fund, and more than 80 hospitals underwent very significant renovations, primarily in their Emergency Departments.”
“In other words, we have fulfilled our campaign pledge to carry out the largest-scale building upgrades and infrastructure improvements to the National Health System since its inception,” the prime minister continued, while highlighting the opportunities that now exist to better meet the needs of the western districts of the capital. “I would like to emphasize what Adonis said—the need to establish a pediatric facility in Western Athens. This has been a demand for many decades, and we are now in a position to meet it,” he noted.
Regarding efforts to strengthen the staffing of the National Health System (ESY), Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized: “We took bold and decisive action together with the minister. We have enabled National Health System doctors to provide medical services outside the National Health System—in a regulated and taxed manner—provided they always fulfill their obligations to the National Health System, just as we have brought doctors into the National Health System who provide their services by offering them the right incentives.
And the fact that today we can issue job postings and receive this kind of response means that young doctors are willing to choose the National Health System to build their careers there.”
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis noted: “We’re not talking about a simple renovation; we’re talking about a brand-new hospital, with new wards, accessibility for people with disabilities, a new pharmacy, new laboratories, and new outdoor spaces. In addition to this major project by the Kaizen Foundation, the hospital will also be included in an energy efficiency upgrade program funded by the NSRF, which will begin immediately. Furthermore, with funding from the TAA, a new MRI scanner will be installed at the hospital to meet the needs of children.
In this way, we are building a truly new hospital. At the same time, the results of the recruitment process for permanent physician positions in the National Health System (ESY) were announced a few days ago. A total of six positions were advertised at the Penteli Children’s Hospital, and all were filled, with a 100% success rate. And that is the message I want to leave with you today. It’s not just about renovating the building; it’s also about hiring medical and nursing staff.”
Zoe Rakopoulou, director of the affiliated “Sismanogleio – Amalia Fleming” and Penteli Children’s Hospitals, noted: “Today marks a concrete step toward improving the protection and care of children’s health for the future of our country. Our hospital, with a history spanning decades of serving children and families, is now embarking on a new path of development.
Today marks a historic milestone. It signals the transition to a new era for public pediatric care. And of course, when the government, society, and the private sector collaborate with a shared vision, they can create projects that are meaningful and enduring for the greater good.”
Panos Konstantopoulos, president of the Kaizen Foundation, added: “There are moments that vindicate the efforts of many people. Today is one of those moments. This is the largest donation to date. It is no coincidence that it took place in Greece, which was and remains our starting point. This is the largest renovation of the hospital in more than 80 years.”