IASO Group’s CEO, Dr. Georgios Stamatiou, among other things, spoke on the successful economic upturn of IASO, on the course and the achievements of the year 2015 as well as on the goals for the year 2016, a significant milestone, as Dr Stamatiou characterized it, given that IASO celebrates its 20 years of operation.

Namely, in his speech, Dr. Stamatiou stressed that “…Over the last part of the year, and while destabilization was compromised, the risks and uncertainties did not seize to exist, and they continued to cause damages and be threatening. Damages were also catastrophic for the health industry. They had a negative impact on all healthcare fields and all healthcare providers.

The results of the year 2015 were determiningly affected by the increased predictions for rebate and clawback reductions, which, along with the increase of the VAT to 23% and the capital controls imposition, led to severe impairments in the final fiscal results.

…The primary fundamental goal we set last year, and it will surely be included among each next year’s goals, was the preservation and gradual increase of our customer base. It is a pleasure once more to inform you that during 2015, many new associate physicians were added to our company’s medical force. In particular, 424 new physicians, much more compared to 2014. Respectively, on a Group level basis, the scientific medical community was enriched with 592 new physicians.

Our goal to partner with private insurance companies goes in precisely the same direction. I would like to inform you that our efforts to partner with new companies or to extent the already existing ones, will be our primary point of focus also for the new year…”

As long as EOPYY (National Organization for the Provision of Health Services) is concerned, Dr. Stamatiou stated “…We are cautious towards EOPYY, despite the fact that we, the private clinics, and all the rest healthcare providers, often supported every new suggestion on the alleged different treatment of the healthcare providers. We witnessed the disappointment of our expectations and anticipations, which were risen by the statements of the competent authorities. In 2015 and recently, once more did we witness the frustration regarding the payments of the year 2013 audits, the real-time audits, the new contractual agreement and many other things. Unfortunately, the same policy of the competent authorities’ self-disappointment continues, along with their weakness to proceed with even simple actions, such as the classification of the private clinics that we want, and the punishment of all offenders-any kind of offender. Honestly, competition must take effect, even in the form of basic competition; it’s high time they stopped considering that we are all clumped together, thus resulting in collective reductions; unfair and groundless reductions. I will never stop naming them excessive, illegal or better, unconstitutional”.

Dr. Stamatiou also commented on the most important investments of the year 2015, on the vision of IASO and on the new year’s goals. He said “…to remain on top, we proceeded with certain investments. The most significant one is the Assisted Reproduction Unit “Institute of Life-IASO”, which accommodates top-notch medical equipment, and has produced positive results already.

The establishment of a Cytology Laboratory and the upgrade of the basic medical equipment in specific parts of our company, gave a new impetus, a fresh strength and high status to the entire scientific work of ours. I will speak in particular about the enrichment of our Radiation Oncology Center with the 4th linear accelerator. I estimate that it will be ready by this summer and will be operating by the end of the summer or the beginning of fall.

“…the goals of our company will remain oriented to the integrity and especially to the quality of the rendered healthcare services on each level of human health, with the synchronous security of the long-term advocacy of the interests and welfare of its shareholders and all those associated with the activities of the Group’s companies such as our clients (physicians and patients), staff and executives, banks and suppliers. The relatively small flexibility presented in the demand of healthcare services in Greece, compared to the rest economic sectors, our commitment to our values, our well-established forces, the most important being the trust we receive from our clients and the dedication of our physicians and staff, allow us to believe in the achievement of our long-term quantitative and qualitative goals”.

Next, mentioning the values of IASO via the message “we stand by you, With kindness & cordiality, With interest & attention, With professionalism, With commitment & care, With dignity, With respect to your special needs”, Dr. Stamatiou highlighted the fact that “if all the aspirations of our message are fulfilled, then I am sure that we will have eliminated the crisis and overcome any other problem that may come our way”.

Dr. Stamatiou concluded his speech in an emotional atmosphere, and stated that IASO is the present and the future of the Medical Profession. He also addressed an open invitation to all the Physicians, to become members of the family of IASO and asked all the shareholders to participate in the publication of the said intention/invitation.