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From now on, pharmacies will sell rapid tests and have free self-tests. However, pharmacists will not perform any of these tests, as provided in the bill with the emergency measures for the pandemic, in its final form.
With the legislative improvement presented by the Deputy Minister of Health Vassilis Kontozamanis, deleted phrase of the provision, which stipulated that, by decision of the Minister of Health, “pharmacists may be granted the right to carry out tests and record their results.”
For this particular arrangement, strong reactions from pharmacists.
Mr. Kontozamanis also presented legal and technical improvements regarding the approval that self-tests must have received to be available on the Greek market.
The Deputy Minister of Health stressed that self-tests can reduce the spread of the coronavirus and are a complementary action in the strategy to face the pandemic with tests and complete rapid and molecular tests to have a clear picture of the epidemiological situation in the country.
“Greece is a pioneer and we will be one of the first countries to use self-diagnostic tests,” said the Deputy Minister of Health, explaining: “Pharmacies will provide free self-tests to citizens and will sell rapid tests separately.”
“The specifications of the self-diagnosis tests are provided by European legislation and the specific conditions are met to characterize these tests as self-diagnosis and allow their circulation,” said Mr. Kontozamanis about the specifications of the self-tests and added that the government, in order to bring them to the Greek market soon, established as a condition that they have been authorized in another European Member State, mainly in Germany, which has a list of such products.
He also explained that with the legislative improvement in the bill, the EOF was added as a competent authority that will grant the marketing authorization as a self-test. Mr. Kontozamanis informed the national delegation that the contract for this tender was approved today by the Court of Accounts.
Undermining
The Deputy Minister of Health criticized the attitude of SYRIZA, which unleashes strong criticism of the management of the pandemic.
“The official opposition behaves as if it does not want the pandemic to end, it cultivates a climate of toxicity and hostility, it undermines the only objective we have at the moment, to end an hour before the pandemic. It undermines the national effort. “With difficulty you try not to show your pain, because we have succeeded so far,” said Vassilis Kontozamanis.
With lies and populism, SYRIZA undermines the national effort, Mr. Kontozamanis insisted, adding that today, when Siemens’ “joke” on the self-test offer was not understood, he comes to complain that they are not CE marked. .
The deputy minister also referred to the ICUs that have entered the battle for the coronavirus, to the medical and nursing staff. Especially because of the expectations of the ICU, Mr. Kontozamanis insisted that the government manages them successfully, adding that until someone enters the ICU, they are provided with the necessary respiratory support.
