A cry of agony, an appeal for urgent help comes from the island of Rhodes. A chronic-ill pensioner with damaged lungs has been deprived from life-supporting oxygen by the supplier. Emmanuil Taktikopoulos, 92, pensioner from Farmer’s Fund OGA impeached that the supplier took away the oxygen delivering machine because of OGA-debts to the supplier.
In a letter to local media “The Democratic online” and “Channel4 of Rhodes” and in a sharp language the desperate asked adviced from the “the judicial and amdinistrative authorities of Rhodes society” on what do to.
“Please, advice me how to resist to the nation-killing fraudsters who dissolved the country with the purpose to decrease the Greek population through abandoning the aging patients,” the frustrated man wrote in his open letter to local authorities.
“The supplier took away the oxygen-machine because he was not paid by my insurance fund, OGA with the effect that I am suffering from chronic breathing problem due to my lungs damage and thus when temperatures are reaching 38-40 degrees Celsius.”
Taktikopoulos’ monthly pension of just 300 euro makes it impossible for him and apparently for his family to pay for the oxygen-machine from their own pockets.
Emmanouil Taktikopoulos
“The deprivation of the oxygen-machine condemns me to certain death!!
It is not possible with a non-existent “excessive” pension of 300 euro a month and no “regional” social benefits to behave like a beggar and pay for renting the machine!”
Taktikopoulos needs oxygen supply 16 hours per day. Currently he finds a slight comfort with oxygen-masks for children. In case of emergency he has to seek the hospital emergency. The patient, his family and friends are close to a nervous breakdown.
Speaking to Channel 4 of Rhodes Taktikopoulos said that his lunge damage was caused by the work he was doing. A family member, said that they contacted the OGA local branch that claimed to have no idea. The family was advised to call OGA headquarters in Athens. There the family was informed that “indeed the insurance funds had debts to suppliers” and that “there was nothing OGA could do”.
Depriving him from life-saving oxygen is something that the aging man described in his letter as “violation of the Greek Constitution” that determines all citizens are equal and consequently deserve equal treatment.
“I strongly protest because I feel that I am not equal among the other Greek citizens, as it is determined by the Constitution.”
“The tone of my protest is the consequence of the lack of respect the state shows toards the elerdely citizens…” Emanouil Taktikopoulos concluded his letter. (Source: Zougla.gr )
UPDATE: Jul 28/2012: A local businessman, the owner of medical equipment store “Charitos” made the much needed charity move and donated Taktikopoulos an oxygen-machine, for as long as “he’d need it”.
A big Bravo to Mr. Charitos for this generous and compansionate donation!
Where do the Farmers’ Funds financial problems come from? Did they invest in Greek bonds and lost half of their money in the haircut, maybe? Or is this a “hand-to-mouth” system that suffers under the reduced infow of money now? What has been done so far to react on this crisis? There will be more cases like Taktikopoulos’ one if the financial problems of OGA are left unsolved.
KTG-ians on our FB page consider to start collect donations for the man and buy him an oxygen-machine. That’s a much quicker action than trying to find out where the OGA money went. (PSI, pensions of Albanians of apparent Greek origins, fraud scandals, lack of state control mechanism – that’s quick too lol)
That will help Mr. Taktikopoulos, and that sure is a good idea, but the problem is, there’s certainly many other similar cases. So, the issue with OGA’s finances still has to be solved in order to stop the suffering of those people. Strange that there isn’t something in the (english language) news about the shocking state of affairs at the Farmers’ Fund. That’s an urgent topic that should be on the agenda of the Greek government.
you think the finances of the other insurance funds are in a better condition? I know of cases of patients in Sailors’ Funds and IKA been deprived of 1 to 2 prescription medicine. When people complained to doctors’ supervisors, they were told “if the doctor cut the medicine, he probably knew better.” The healthcare situation nowadays is the biggest scandal of the country, IMHO.
I’d rather not think about about the other funds. I’m sure it’s a depressing mess there, too.
🙁
if think, then think of the whole forest, not just of a few trees.
So, what are you suggesting. Mr Taktikopoulos should, like the other victims, simply be considered as “collateral damage” and wait for somebody, somewhere, to magically decide that the recapitalization of the health and social funds should take precedent over the recapitalizing the banks maybe?
That really would get Herr Roesler and friends shouting, wouldn’t it? People before banks, come on Gray, where your sense of justice?
News in foreign languages don’t paint the whole picture. Since Greece went to be the scapegoat of the “crisis” the market of opinions is in need of more news but may be in most cases for all those haters that seem to have a beef with Greece. Lots of them live in Greece, love the country but like it better “without Greeks”.
Could be better to use the work put into translations for a Greek network of counter-information.