5 March 2025 - When Meritocracy Becomes a Victim of Arrangements
In this country, the recycling of individuals is the only recycling that works effectively. There is no other explanation for the insistence of the Health Insurance Organization (HIO) to assign the management of the program to send patients abroad to the General Director of the Ministry of Health, Christina Giannaki, after her retirement.
We wonder: Is it possible that while it had almost two years at its disposal, an organization the size of HIO failed to prepare in time? Is it logical to present dependence on a specific person as the only option? If so, then there is a serious problem in the way decisions are made for the GESY (General Healthcare System) and public administration in general.
The recent revelations confirm concerns that the situation was manipulated to make it appear that Ms. Giannaki was the only option. The Auditor General himself, who served as Director of the HIO until a few months ago, is now demanding explanations for the Organization's shortcomings in previous years.
We at Volt say clearly:
These decisions should not be made in the absence of citizens and patients themselves.
The HIO had time to organize a proper and transparent transition of program management. If it did not do so, it must be held accountable.
The same game cannot be played every time: we let an issue "rot" and then present specific individuals as the only solution, creating dependencies.
We want a state that operates with institutions and procedures, not with services and conveniences.
The GESY is an important achievement for the citizen that must be protected, but also changed where and when necessary in order to serve the patient. It cannot be allowed to become a tool for personal arrangements through the HIO. Volt will continue to demand real transparency and meritocracy in public administration.