After communicating via video call with Kyriakos Mitsotakis during the briefing of political leaders, the GS of the CC of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas made the following statement:

"The KKE faces the public health adventure that the country and the world are going throughwith a high sense of responsibility.

We have already put forward proposals to shield - as far as possible - the public health system and its workers. These proposals concern the requisition of private clinics, the immediate integration of thousands of private doctorsinto the state planning, the need to decongest hospitals with 24-hour operation of Primary Care Units, the opening of ICUs, the immediate recruitment of thousands of healthcare workers.

We also put forward proposals to support workers, freelancers, self-employed who are affected by the impact on the economy and the necessary measures. Under no circumstances should workers'-people’s rights be quarantined.

I have repeated these proposals to the Prime Minister, Mr. Mitsotakis, today. I particularly emphasized the fact thatthe necessary individual responsibility in these difficult times should go hand in hand and, much more, should not substitute state responsibility.

Things would have been better if at least these past years hospitals and Primary Health Care unitshad not been shut down by all governments,as a result of the policy that sacrifices Health on the altar of "bloody" surpluses and treats it as a commodity. These units need to be reopened even now.

It has been tragicallyprovedthat social goods, such as the highest good of life and health, cannot be left to the mercy of profit, to the unaccountable market laws. It is characteristic that the current state cannot even provide the simple, minimum prevention and protection measures. It has to resort to various business groups, domestic and international, for medicines, masks, antiseptics, raw materials and more. Even in conditions of soaringpricesand huge profiteering.

We may all say "we stay home", for self-protection, to protect our loved ones, all our fellow humans, but we cannot remain silent in the big gaps, the tragic shortages in Health. So, we are strengthening our voice for health protection measures for all workers, all the Greek people. "

18.03.2020