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Adonis Georgiadis was attacked during his visit to Attikon Hospital which was part of a series of checks of hospitals which he is carrying out in order to obtain information on the issues of each of them.

The problems related to his visit had begun earlier today when the employees of the hospital had issued a message stating that the Minister was "persona non grata" in Attikon. Sources claim that Adonis Georgiadis was attacked on his way to the hospital not only by some of its employees but also by outsiders. They shouted slogans whose content had nothing to do with the demands of healthcare sector employees.

The policemen who were in the courtyard of the hospital halted the attack and were able to take him out of the gathered crowd. After the incident, the Minister met with physicians and other members of the hospital staff and accepted their apologies for what had happened.

Earlier in the morning, Adonis Georgiadis had made a surprise visit to the hospital in the suburb of Nikaia too. He inspected the situation in the rooms and corridors, and the hospital staff informed him of the condition of the hospital.

In a statement for To Vima fm radio, after the attack, the Minister described what had happened and firmly said, "A fascist minority is unable to make me give up."

Adonis Georgiadis said that, on his way to the hospital, he had been informed of the presence of protesters at the hospital entrance. His associates had even advised him to enter through the back door but he decided to meet with the protesters and talk to them.

According to him, when he got out of the car, someone threw a plastic cup of coffee at him and the people began to shout slogans. "When I approached them in an attempt to enter the hospital and go to the meeting room to meet with the hospital management, some of the people pushed and hit me," said the Minister. Then the police intervened and a short clash followed despite his call to the police to avoid confrontation with the protesters. To the question of where he was hit, the Minister replied, "On my head."

"Some people think that the hospital is their property. It is inconceivable for them to not allow the relevant Minister to visit a hospital for which he is responsible and to exercise violence against him," he added.

Adonis Georgiadis also stressed that the majority of healthcare workers had nothing to do with the attack against him. "It is a pure expression of violence by a certain political space which thinks that it has the monopoly of the expression of personal opinion in the country. I am not afraid and I stood in front of them. I think that, in this country, we all have the right to express our opinion," said the Minister of Health.

Adonis Georgiadis’ associates claim that he has "red marks from hits on the neck."

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou condemned the attack from the parliamentary rostrum and called on all political forces to assume their responsibility.

"The Minister of Health was the victim of an unprecedented attack. He was attacked and hit by people who shouted slogans from the time of the Civil War," said Simos Kedikoglou.

At the same time, he has urged all parties which want to be part of the constitutional arc to oppose such attacks. Of all parliamentary forces, only New Democracy’s coalition partner, PASOK, and Democratic Left have issued messages that strongly condemn the attack on the Minister of Health.