The Minister of Health speaks of “non -existent complaints” that he has received for weeks, Adonis Georgiadison the occasion of a statement by SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, which concerned the involvement of private companies in the management of genetic data in Greece.
The Minister of Health rejected complaints of a “secret contract” with a private company, referring to inaccurate information and as he explained, the initiative concerns the relevant. Pilot program of genetic neonatal control (“First Steps”), which began in 2023, before taking up his duties.
According to him, the program allowed 400 newborns to check for 500 rare genetic diseases in three public hospitals (Alexandra, Papageorgiou, University of Larissa), under the coordination of EDY. After taking up his duties, a program contract was promoted (12 June 2024) to extend the program, but there is no final agreement or implementation.
This committee, according to the minister, met only once and has not come to final decisions. The collection of samples has not started, nor has the final contract been concluded!
The Georgiadis announcement in detail
“For weeks, I receive non -existent complaints from team journalists Reporters United And through the “Journal of Editors” on a supposedly secret contract with a private company for the possession of genetic data in Greece already signed, it has not risen to “Transparency” and conceals some form of scandal.
I had decided not to answer, but to be institutionally posted on the first question that someone would ask me in the House. But since there was a official announcement of SYRIZA today, I answer SYRIZA – and by this answer the Greek people will also be informed – about the facts:
In the year 2023, under the pilot program «First Steps», They had the opportunity of 400 newborn infants with a drop of blood to be examined free of charge for 500 genetic diseases at the Athens General Hospital of Athens General Hospital” Alexandra “, the Thessaloniki General Hospital” Papageorgiou “.
The pilot program, therefore, began, within 2023, before I got to be a Minister of Health. There have been more press reports on this pilot program, which also said that EDY has its coordination. After taking up my duties, the scientific team presented us with the first results of the pilot program and suggested the signing of a program contract, which we signed on June 12, 2024, with the aim of examining the number of newborns in Greece for 500 rare genetic diseases.
I note that my ambition is, if we can save even a child and a family from a rare illness, do it. The program contract does not, of course, constitute a legally binding text, with conductive claims for each side, nor an act of suspicion in “clarity” especially because it has no financial object, and therefore was not posted on “Transparency”.
In this case, with the program contract we have accepted the creation of a project monitoring group that would decide the framework, through which this genetic control could begin. In addition to the representatives of the Institute of Child Health and Children’s Hospitals, the Academician Mr. Dimitris Thanos, the former Rector of the Democritus University of Thrace – Dr. Konstantinos Konstantinos Konstantinos Simopoulos
This group was set up following this program contract, with the aim of proposing to the Ministry of Health the framework and process by which the way to cooperate with the FIRST STEPS team would be extended to extend the pilot program of the year 2023 to be extended to a sufficient number of infants to determine the rare diseases found in the population. This is a prerequisite for developing an integrated national action plan for rare diseases.
Disputes from the Institute of Child Health, which did not agree with the prospect of implementing the genetic neonatal control by the FIRST STEPS group, although in the presence of me that it did not have the technical ability to make this type of genetic control today. It is likely to get it after a few years.
The committee has so far met once, has not come up with a plan, the samples have not started, the final contract has not been signed, nothing has started with all that is said.
In any case, the procedure had already begun, in September 2023, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health Protection (DPO) of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Dimitris Zografopoulos, who comes from the scientific staff of the Personal Data Protection Authority and has set the conditions for the protection of the personal data. Steps ».
The Personal Data Protection Authority is also informed of the process through the Ministry of Health Data Protection (DPO). If the Monitoring Committee came to a conclusion, which has not finally reached, its conclusion would be submitted to the National Bioethics Committee for its approval or any observations before the program began.
If the Commission finally reaches an agreement, we will further inform you of the data. If there is no agreement, the program simply does not start.
Having said that, whether or not this initiative will succeed, I must tell you that genetic control is today the point of technological peaks of the largest countries on the planet, certainly the future of medicine and would be excellent for Greece instead of being one of the last countries again.
It is my ambition, if I can as a Minister of Health I can contribute to Greece to become a pioneer in it, I will certainly do so, because, through this new technology, we can save thousands of human lives.
Political games must retreat in front of human lives.
PS: Informing the Council of Ministers on program contracts without a financial object that has not even begun, it makes no sense for anyone who has been a minister, at least once in his life. SYRIZA is well aware of it, because it unfortunately had the opportunity for the Greek people to set up in the past ministerial councils. “
SYRIZA’s announcement
Earlier, SYRIZA in a statement spoke of “the concealment of the DNA of newborns to private companies by the leadership of the Ministry of Health, through a contract signed in May 2024”
SYRIZA also talked about “scandal that raises very serious issues of bioethics, transparency and personal data protection”.
He also noted in his announcement:
“This convention, signed by Adonis Georgiadis with Realgenics and Beginings, based in the US, grants to them the collection and utilization of all DNA elements – 100 thousand neonatal genomes born in our country from 1/1/2025 to 31/12/2029. The Convention, in fact, provides that DNA and genomes are “exclusive ownership” of the two private companies.
On this issue, the scientific community has expressed its vertical reaction, pointing out both the issues of management of these sensitive data from private companies and the scientific methodology that follow.
In addition to the contract not posted on “Transparency”, it remained, according to available data, even hidden for the Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister himself. Adonis Georgiadis cannot be hidden. We demand immediate information on this scandalous contract, as well as its immediate cancellation. As for Mr Mitsotakis’ supposed state, it is now obvious that this is nothing more than a bad joke. “