The launch event for the credit-awarding educational program organized by the hospital for the period 2021-22 ended today with former Deputy Minister of Health Mr. Vassilis Kontozamanis’ praising the CEO of Piraeus Bank Group Mr. Christos Megalou, as well as the administration and staff of the Henry Dunant Hospital Center, for their support to Greece’s National Health System during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The launching of the new educational program was combined with a special event to celebrate HDHC’s 20th anniversary. All the speakers highlighted the hospital’s help and quality, also focusing on the recent coverage of NHS on-duty services. The CEO of Piraeus Bank Mr. Christos Megalou, stressed that, in addition to the financial figures, Henry Dunant’s contribution to society is a key consideration also for Piraeus Bank, the hospital’s sole shareholder. “We are proud of what Dunant has accomplished and we will stand by you in every effort,” was his message to the hospital’s management and staff.
The keynote speaker at the launching event of the credit-awarding educational program, former alternate Minister of Health Mr. Vassilis Kontozamanis, in his first public intervention after the recent reshuffle, spoke of the public and private partnerships saying that “the pandemic was an opportunity for us to break several taboos in the Health sector.”
“In our country, unfortunately, there seems to be a confusion about the public nature of Health. The public health system together with the private sector constitute a single national health system. This became clear during the pandemic with the support we had from private settings and military hospitals. We’ve had very positive results that enable this cooperation to move forward. “This is a win-win cooperation for the private and the public sector, for they will be able to complement each other”, he emphasized, adding that: “We have misunderstood the issue of public-private partnerships. The word “private” gives the wrong impression that the Health sector is privatized. This is certainly not the case, nor do the public-private partnerships form in any case part of any ideological-political choice of the government “.
“Partnerships are a financial tool, a regular need in the health sector so that we can improve and create new health services at no extra cost to the patient. “It is that tool which ensures the equal access of our fellow citizens to health services, and in any case the public nature of the health system, which is non-negotiable”, concluded Mr. Kontozamanis
The president and CEO of Henry Dunant Hospital Center, Mr.
Themos Charamis referred to the dynamic return of the Henry Dunant which was accredited by JCI, the leader in health care accreditation, pointing out that, in the midst of a pandemic, the hospital and its employees proved that they can win even the most difficult bet, participating in the NHS on-duty services.
The educational program prepared and implemented -with free participation- by the Scientific Committee of the Henry Dunant Hospital Center, covers 34 thematic units and is credited by the Panhellenic Medical Association (PΜΑ), with a total of 68 Continuing Medical Education (CME-CPD) credits). 
