KKE calls for urgent health measures in Evros and Rhodope after 2023 wildfire

Eighteen months after the devastating wildfire of 2023, MPs from the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) have submitted a formal question to the Minister of Health, urging the government to take immediate action to protect the health of residents in the Evros and Rhodope regions. MPs Yiannis Delis, Leonidas Stoltidis, and Giorgos Lambroulis emphasize that despite the passage of time, local communities continue to suffer serious health consequences that remain largely unaddressed by the authorities.

ONGOING HEALTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIENCIES
In their submission, the MPs highlight persistent underfunding and understaffing of critical services such as the fire brigade and forestry departments, as well as the absence of essential flood protection infrastructure. These shortcomings, they warn, leave the region vulnerable to future natural disasters. One of their central demands is the strengthening of public healthcare facilities in the area, including fully staffing health centers and hospitals with permanent personnel. They also call for free primary healthcare services to monitor the respiratory, cardiac, and mental health of affected residents.

CRITICISM OF POST-FIRE RECOVERY PLAN
The KKE also criticized the government’s “EVROS META” recovery plan, stating that it focuses on boosting business activity in the burned zones without addressing the pressing health needs of local populations. The MPs accuse the government of failing to implement adequate systems to monitor public health outcomes or provide proper psychological support — especially for children, who are among the most vulnerable.

CALL FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM
According to the KKE, the limited and fragmented measures introduced so far, such as Mobile Health Units, fall short of meeting community needs. They denounce the cost-benefit approach adopted by the government, arguing that it undermines the population’s wellbeing and hampers the development of a modern, inclusive public health system capable of fully addressing the needs of the people.