A-Infos (en) Anarkismo.net: Greece, The infirmary of Social Solidarity Thessaloniki (gr)

Early November 2011 saw the creation of the infirmary of Social Solidarity Thessaloniki’s 
(SKS). The project deals with providing basic health care to the growing percentage of the 
population Thessaloniki’s that due to the capitalist austerity have no access to hospitals 
and health centres. Below is an interview with Serafía Kalamítsou, 37, a paediatrician and 
an anarchist who has been active in the forming of the SKS. (Details for donations are at 
the end, interview by Ralf Dreis, as abridged version appeared in GWR 373). ---- RD: 
Serafía Hello, can you say something first about the situation in Greece and then explain 
how the idea of the construction of the SKS originated and how it was implemented. ---- 
SK: Hi Ralf, I will say something about the situation in the health sector, as those of us 
working within the SKS are especially active in this area, even if our work involves 
confronting other societal problems.

It is important to understand that the problems in the health sector were present before 
the onset of the economic crisis. The situation has now worsened and affects more people 
[under the austerity measure]. But even before it was so, that many did not have access to 
the health system, or that those who took a department, were treated negatively or had to 
pay privately for treatment needed. In February 2011, during the hunger strike of 300 
immigrants who were fighting for legal status in Greece, we found ourselves working 
together as a support group. 50 of the hunger strikers were housed in the centre 
Thessaloniki’s workers and had asked for help from people in the healthcare field.

Several doctors, nurses and psychotherapists - mainly Anarchists, anti-authoritarians and 
leftists - then founded a caring hospital workers collective in the centre to accompany 
the hunger strikers with a doctor. The immigrants had for the most part lived for many 
years without legal status in Greece and again had submitted applications and paid a lot 
of money to various authorities to get legal residence papers. Ultimately, they only 
remained on hunger strike to demand their rights. After its end, and full of the 
enthusiasm from our fruitful collaboration beyond the hospital work, we decided as a 
collective to form a social solidarity group clinic for refugees in our city.

RD: In the beginning you thought to make the clinic exclusively for refugees.

SK: Yes, but we quickly decided to include all people without health insurance, so 
immigrants and Greeks. Then even as we were holding meetings to discuss how to implement 
the project, the economic dictates of the IMF, European Commission and European Central 
Bank hit Greek society with full force. The result was that the number of uninsured people 
increased so rapidly, that Greeks are now well over half of our patients. At the beginning 
we approached the city, so they provided one of their massive empty buildings. But 
municipal leaders provided nothing but various excuses and nothing occurred. Later we 
tried to rent rooms, which was not feasible for financial reasons. Then we discussed the 
possibility of a home occupation [squatted space], which was rejected by many people in 
the group as setting up in a squat could pose a threat or be a source of fear for 
undocumented people. Ultimately, we made an agreement with the workers centre. The rooms 
on the 1st floor of the building in the 24 Aisopou St. were made available, and that's 
where we are now. The centre workers are currently paid and the electricity, so our main 
expenses relate to the purchase of vaccines and oral surgery, which amounts to around 5000 
Euro per month. Most other drugs and dressing materials we use come from donations from 
individuals who have looted their medicine cabinet.

RE: Can you give us an idea, how many people are involved in the SKS and how the SKS was 
further developed?

SK: In the beginning, during the hunger strike, we were about 30 people. Then a few more 
came to the meetings during the planning phase and we are currently at least 200 people 
involved in the health care sector. Moreover, there are also doctors in private practices 
who would like to participate directly, but this doesn't work due to us holding the same 
working hours. They see 2 or 5 or 10 patients monthly from the SKS in their practice 
instead. SKS exist in a variety of disciplines such as general medicine, dentistry, 
psychotherapy and child medical practice and social pharmacy in which the patients get 
their drugs for free. All this is organized by office workers who work to coordinate it 
all without which the whole project would be impossible.

RE: Controls whether your patients you have health insurance?

SK: No, we do not control that. We have repeatedly stated publicly that we do not intend 
to replace the existing public health system - and apart from that, we can not. We will 
not try to be a Ministry of Health rather than the Ministry of Health to be. We are there 
for those who have been excluded from the capitalist system, who have been kicked out of 
the hospitals and health centres and are nowhere treated differently. We do not intend to 
try and be always available, but try to create the political and social conditions to 
ensure that all people have equal access to health care and no one is excluded from 
treatment in hospital. We can only provide basic health care, as soon as surgery or spine 
imaging is necessary, our patients must turn to a hospital. It is absolutely necessary for 
all people to fight for free health care, regardless of whether they are insured or not.

RE: Is the SKS open every day?

SK: Our office opens daily, except Sunday.

RD: The demand seems to be high.

SK: At the beginning only a few departments had daily office hours, now there is a need 
for other departments to run daily, with the need for many more doctors and our rooms are 
too small and slow. In addition, this winter, many more people without health insurance 
will come to SKS.

RD: In Germany, many people are interested in the work of the SKS. I think the majority of 
this socially active segment of the population appreciates your project as a charitable 
service. Is that consistent with your self-assessment?

SK: In Greece, there are various kinds of social dispensaries. We call ourselves "Social 
infirmary of solidarity", but I personally prefer the term "solidarity hospital" because 
it expresses more clearly what we stand for. There are currently caring hospitals like us 
who are self-managed and self-organized on the basis of any non-governmental organization 
(NGO), and who do not belong to the Church. There are also social health centers, that 
provide charitable work and are maintained by NGOs, the church, or medical associations, 
and there is the Nazi propaganda of Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn), which have announced 
"Social wards only for Greeks". In fact, this is purely propaganda anyway because this 
Nazi party is not in a position to implement such projects. One of their so-called social 
health centres was announced for the city of Xanthi in northern Greece. In reality it is 
run by a fascist army doctor who has never actually treated any patients.

RE: On September 13, the daily press wrote that Chrysi Avgi calls to make [blood] 
"donations only for Greeks".

SK: Yes, that's true, the Nazi propaganda of Chrysi Avgi wants to look like they care 
about the Greek society. Comrades in Athens reported that only 10 to 12 Nazis were 
involved in the blood donation campaign. The medical deontology clearly states the way 
that blood is to be donated, not sold, and that this blood is to be transferred solely 
according to medical criteria and made available to all those who are in need. It is 
ridiculous and unscientific to ask for blood for Greek patients or German patients to 
donate to German people. It is disgusting and disgraceful that at the request of Chrysi 
Avgi the government authority actually made a blood donation unit available for them. The 
Confederation of hospital doctors and the National Medical Association have condemned the 
racist blood drive sharp contrast in their statements.

RE: Back to you and your goals as a solidarity infirmary. Apart from guaranteeing basic 
health care for people without health insurance, their aims are quite different from there.

SK: We have not started the project to save our soul with charity work, but see ourselves 
as a political project with a clear objective. Our main goal as SKS is to show that 
solidarity work and structures can succeed by organizing solidarity to overcome the 
problems caused by the economic crisis. Solidarity means more than just a helping hand. 
Solidarity structures may then have a great effect, when solidarity is part of our 
consciousness, not only for our patients, but also for their families, and the 
neighborhoods in which they live. During such a process, it is made clear that supportive 
structures can be created not only in the health sector, but in all the other areas of our 
lives also. This process of awareness is very difficult to set in motion. If we are here 
to stay however, if we only create a functioning health centre, our work has been for 
nothing. We are successful when we manage to make the SKS part of a general movement with 
the goal of social self-management and solidarity not only in the city, but also 
throughout the country.

RD: There are a whole lot of self-governing structures in Thessaloniki. Are you 
coordinating with each other? Do you give out joint texts or policy analysis? Organizing 
events or demonstrations with other projects such as the social center Mikropolis, or the 
squatters of the former Army land in the west of the city, who cultivate a "Perka" 
collectively growing vegetables? Do you have contact with the squats?

SK: We have not published common political texts, but there are assemblies and meetings 
that we also attend and there are people from other projects that come to our meetings. 
For example the Mikropolis supported us financially with a fixed monthly solidarity 
donation. And we are attempting to build an anti-fascist, anti-racist network with various 
other groups in the city. So far we have not been able to create an organizational 
structure but informally there are many connections between the various projects.

RD: When you discuss this kind of cooperation, or establish political actions, who 
ultimately decides what happens?

SK: The SKS is self-governing, and all decisions are made by the General Assembly. The 
assembly meetings are open to each and every person. Unfortunately, this is not perceived 
by all but mostly 40-60 activists attend. Many prefer the active work over the discussions 
of the General Assembly. I personally think it is very important to work together to 
develop positions and to reach decisions.

RE: What are the reactions of the state or of the mass media to you?

SK: We always try to make our anti-racist positions clear to the public and to publish our 
articles in many different languages throughout the city. The SKS is by now fairly well 
known and supported by many people. A fact that currently protects us against direct 
government attacks. The mass media play their own game. At present they want to emphasize 
our "charitable" work but not our anti-capitalist or anti-racist perspective, which is why 
we are very careful in dealing with the mass media. We are weary of the media completely 
twisted our content and portraying our work as the opposite of what it is - representing 
us as ultimately a substitute church or NGO.

RD: We mentioned before the fascist gangs of Chrysi Avgi. A project like the SKS imposes 
itself but to formally as the target of the Nazis?

SK: The risks are real, because we are in a district that is not only home to many 
migrants, but also to the Bureau of Chrysi Avgi. We are quite concerned about possible 
Nazi attacks on our patients and ourselves when we leave the house late at night. So far, 
fortunately nothing has happened. Apart from the personal or informal links with other 
projects on which we have spoken, there is an anti-fascist phone chain, which is activated 
in the case of danger.

RE: What are the options for caring people from Germany [or Australia..] who want to 
support your struggle against capitalist barbarism?

SK: (laughs) Well, the obvious is of course financial support. We always need money and as 
I have described, there are things we must buy, so mainly dentures, fillings, vaccines for 
children and so on, all of which is very expensive. If a non-insured child gets sick for 
example, there are no free vaccinations, which means that they are not vaccinated. But in 
order to start school the child has to show vaccination certificate with all vaccinations 
made. Parents who do not even have enough money to feed their children cannot afford 
expensive vaccinations. Of such obligations to citizens, the Greek government has just 
adopted, which leads to the corresponding backing of the mass media and popular racist 
propaganda to further the rise of the Nazis. So far, we have received financial support 
from farm groups, clubs, through events, by individuals or by other projects such as the 
Mikropolis. Donations from comrades in Germany are very welcome. In addition, doctors 
could lend their solidarity, if they have the opportunity to, by donating expensive drugs. 
We also need ideas and support in the fight against fascism and anti-racist mobilizations, 
which you have so many years experience of in Germany.

Contact: Aisopou Street 24, Thessaloniki,

email: koinwniko.iatreio@gmail.com

Tel: 0030-2310-520386

---------------------------------

by Melbourne Solidarity with the anti-austerity movements in Gr
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