Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis inaugurated a new hematology clinic at Papanikolaou Hospital in Thessaloniki on Friday afternoon, calling it the most modern hematology center in the country and possibly in the entire Balkans.
Speaking after the opening ceremony, Mitsotakis said the center and the scientific staff running it had nothing to envy from any equivalent center in Europe.
He said Thessaloniki and the whole country had gained the most modern hematology center in Greek territory, and perhaps in the Balkans as a whole. He added that it was not a time for many words, and that the words of patients, and of those who had envisioned the project, might carry more weight. He said science had achieved real breakthroughs in gene and cell-based personalized therapies, and that he was glad the country could now back its scientific staff with a state-of-the-art building equipped to meet the needs of Greek patients. He praised the leadership of the Health Ministry for meeting tight deadlines tied to the EU Recovery Fund, which allowed the building to be delivered within August.
The building as an answer
Mitsotakis said the building was the clearest answer and proof for anyone questioning where Recovery Fund money and European resources had gone. He said such funds go toward public health infrastructure of this kind, so that patients can access the best possible treatments.
Capacity for cell therapies to rise
With the new wing operating, the number of cell therapies used to treat specific blood malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma is expected to increase by 30% to 50%, as capacity grows and treatment indications expand. Plans also include administering cell therapies to patients with multiple myeloma, within the framework of approved European indications. The expansion could let more patients from Northern Greece, the rest of the country and Cyprus access highly specialized treatments without having to seek care at other centers or abroad.
A research role
The new wing is also intended to play a significant research role. A new Biobank and a dedicated Clinical Studies Laboratory will support research protocols, participation in international studies and the development of new therapeutic approaches, which is seen as important in a field as fast-moving as cell and gene therapy. The goal is for Papanikolaou Hospital to become not only a center that applies modern treatments but one that actively takes part in research shaping the medicine of the future.
Inside the new building
The new building covers more than 2,500 square meters and brings together the Molecular Hematology Laboratory, the Public Umbilical Cord Blood Bank, the Gene and Cell Therapy Laboratories, Cytogenetics, Cytomorphology and Flow Cytometry laboratories, the Biobank, clinical study infrastructure, and a new Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapies Unit.
The new unit has 11 single-bed isolation rooms. Each room has its own bathroom, a dedicated antechamber and an INTERLOCK door system, a feature considered important for protecting immunocompromised patients, who require special safeguards against infection.
Effects for the wider hospital
Moving the laboratories into the new wing is also expected to ease pressure on the neighboring "STORGI" building, making it possible to reorganize that facility, improve day hospitalization services, and expand the Graft Collection and Processing Laboratory.
The building was constructed to the most up-to-date specifications and, among other features, is designed to contribute to energy savings.
