Marios Themistocleous, the Greek Deputy Minister of Health, outlined plans to reduce surgical wait times and tackle healthcare shortages. He announced that with 35,000 surgeries, wait times could drop to four months. The ministry is hiring additional personnel, increasing hospital capacity, and investing 1.5 billion euros in upgrading emergency departments. New hospitals are expected to open by 2025. The government aims to eliminate the culture of unofficial payments by ensuring timely access to medical procedures.