Thousands of refugees, migrants about to be left without healthcare

Opposition SYRIZA’s shadow minister for health has urged the government to ensure that thousands of migrants and refugees are not left without the benefit of healthcare at the end of the month.

In an announcement on Friday, Andreas Xanthos, a former health minister, issued a reminder that a European Union-backed program securing medical supervision and treatment via the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) at migrant camps and other facilities is about to expire.

“February 28, 2022, is the final date of expiry of EODY’s Philos program, which has, since 2017, with backing from the European Commission, provided comprehensive healthcare to the migrant community,” Xanthos noted.

“The two-month extension granted by the government after December 31 has not been utilized in order to ensure the renewal of staff contracts and the sustainable funding of a program that has been positively evaluated and is known to have a social impact,” the leftist official added.

Apart from leaving thousands of undocumented migrants and refugees without healthcare, the expiry of Philos will also leave 670 medical professionals without a job, he reminded.