Z. Rapti on the suicide of a coronavirus patient: KINAL’s statement demonstrates lack of information

The government that not only is not “deaf” to mental health issues, but has set them and put them in the main priorities of its information and support actions for the coronavirus, says Deputy Minister of Health Zoe Rapti in response to a joint statement by KINAL MPs on suicide patient with coronavirus at “Papanikolaou” Hospital.

In fact, he accuses the KINAL MPs of lack of information.

In particular, in her announcement, the Deputy Minister of Health states:

In response to the joint statement of the KINAL MPs M. Katrini, O. Kostantinopoulos, M. Baran, A. Poula, and G. Fraggidis about the suicide of a patient with coronavirus at the “Papanikolaou” Hospital, we point out the following:

This joint statement demonstrates the lack of information and education of KINAL and its MPs on mental health issues.

Contrary to what the MPs say, the Government not only does not “deafen” the issues of mental health, but has set them and puts them in the main priorities of its informative and supportive actions for the coronavirus, providing the first relevant information to the public about the existence of psychological support, with the Telephone Line 10306, with one of the main TV spots “We Stay Home – We Stay Healthy and Mentally Healthy – Psychological Support Line 10306” with Thodoris Atheridis.

With this spot, all Greek citizens, as well as all mental health experts know that the Ministry of Health activated, from April 4, 2020, the Psychological Support Line for coronavirus 10306, which has been operating ever since in collaboration with the National University of Kapodistrias. Athens (1st University Psychiatric Clinic), the Child’s Smile and the Federation of Mental Health Institutions “ARGO”, bodies that have been collaborating with the Ministry of Health for decades.

The Psychological Support Line 10306 was funded by the Ministry of Health and by a donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation with the amount of 1.3 million euros for the year 2020 and provides 24-hour, through specialized executives, remote telephone support anonymously and confidentially to the population , with specialized services to hospital staff, as well as to patients with coronavirus, as well as adults and children who have experienced its effects, having received over 180,000 calls to date and conducting over 1,000 online treatment sessions.

The provided psychological support was even more focused from January 2021 with the Program of the Ministry of Health “No One Alone in the Pandemic”, and is also provided online, with free tablet, but also live, to hospital staff, patients with coronavirus, their relatives and vulnerable groups of the population. The provision of this service was further advertised to the public with a new TV spot that aired starring actress Natalia Dragoumi.

This program is implemented nationwide with additional funding, amounting to 1.6 million euros, given to the Ministry of Health by the Ministry of Finance, from 24 Day Centers and Mobile Mental Health Units, Supervised Legal Entities Private Law with Non-Profit Moderate the Directorate of Mental Health, in collaboration with the Federation of Mental Health Institutions “ARGO”.

The program employs 100 specialist scientists and is implemented in connection with the Administrations of all 7 Health Districts and the 450 health units that participate (Hospitals, Health Centers, TOMY, regional clinics) and EKAB.

A total of 2.9 million euros have been allocated for the years 2020-2021.

Focusing on the reported sad event at the “Papanikolaou” hospital where the suicide bomber was treated, we point out the following:

1. Multilevel psychological support is provided within the hospital unit, as it has one of the most specialized and well-staffed psychiatric clinics, the interoperability of which, with the other clinics of the hospital, is given and
2. outside the hospital unit, from the Day Center “Anatoli” of A.M.K.E. “Composition”, which generally supports the units of the 3rd Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The above indicates that the sole purpose of such announcements is to misinform the public to provide partisan benefits through the use of personal data, which are protected by the Ministry of Health.”