Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias attended and addressed the official opening on Monday of the European Center of Excellence for Quality in Care and Patient Safety of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Athens.

According to the ministry, the selection of Greece as the seat of the specific office of the WHO was a recognition of the work of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Ministry of Health and the Greek government in managing the pandemic and implementing public health policies, such as the successful implementation of the anti-smoking law.

Kikilias, who had served as health minister during the first two years of the pandemic, stressed in his speech that it was a moving and significant day for him and described the official opening of the WHO office in Athens “as a proof of everything we have achieved in the last two years, everything we have managed to overcome in the battle with the Covid-19 pandemic.”

As the minister pointed out, “this ambitious project started exactly one year ago, in April 2021, in the midst of a catastrophic crisis for public health, a humanitarian crisis. I am proud to see that our efforts continue, through the unparalleled support, determination and guidance of our Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.”

Finally, Kikilias announced that the Ministry of Tourism is planning a new framework for medical tourism in Greece under the guidance of the WHO.

“A framework that aims to cover all aspects of medical tourism and wellness tourism for those who visit our country,” he underlined.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.