Reforms are not announced – they are carried out
We fear death. Even more so, dying alone. It’s not just one’s family that will look after you or hold your hand. It is also the National Health System that stands by you when you’re sick or abandons you, in its own way.
The reactions caused by the statements of Spyros Pnevmatikos, a parliamentary candidate for New Democracy in Evia, and a doctor by profession, about cancer patients were atoned after his decision to withdraw from the upcoming June 25 elections. “One thing I will not negotiate: the universal access of every citizen to the best treatment that the National Health System can offer, and especially when we are talking about a difficult issue like cancer,” New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said after Pnevmatikos’ withdrawal.
During a television interview on Thursday, Pnevmatikos appeared to condone the idea of healthcare rationing for terminally ill cancer patients. He stated, “At some point, we need to draw a line for terminally ill cancer patients because coping with the required expenses becomes exceedingly difficult.”
We are in a pre-election period and anything viewed as harmful to the party’s image is summarily eliminated. Even if what Pnevmatikos wrongly stated could form part of a strictly scientific discussion, it cannot, in any case, be discussed ahead of elections.
However, this incident highlights established perceptions in society, and of course within political parties, which react with hypocritical hypersensitivity when they are suddenly revealed. Obviously, for every vulnerable group in society, the role of the state is decisive. People’s endurance to illness (physical and mental) is always limited. It takes practice, lots of psychological reserves and knowledge (besides love) to accompany one’s beloved to the inevitable end.
This is not to say, however, that there aren’t other areas in public health that need streamlining and cuts in wasteful spending. For example, Greece is considered “generous” in prescriptions, especially when it comes to MRIs or CT scans. Does this “generosity” actually help in prevention and treatment of illnesses, or is it a symptom of “defensive medicine,” which indicates insecurity and inexperience?
The reformation of the National Health System will never progress if each party supports what it is convenient to say (or not say), silencing truths that affect specific interests and attitudes. Radical reforms are not announced – they are just carried out.
