Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-06-12

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Samaras: Healthcare sector issues top priority for ND

[02] Dassault family members visit great grandmother's manor in Thessaloniki

[01] Samaras: Healthcare sector issues top priority for ND

In statements he made after meeting with the Pharmacists Association of Greece, Samaras said the system is under collapse due to inadequate funding and multiple problems. He stressed that the recently established Unified Primary Healthcare Organisation (EOPYY), the social insurance funds and the hospitals will be supported through funding and spending control, adding that the demagogy adopted by the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) does not serve the needs of the people and the public health sector. amna

He added that the state must pay off previous debts owed to all health sector suppliers, and called on pharmacists to realise that times are crucial and to be understanding.

[02] Dassault family members visit great grandmother's manor in Thessaloniki

The grand residence was built in 1888 and today houses the region of Central Macedonia's administration offices. amna

"We came to learn as much as we can. We hope to know as much as we can about our past because to build the future you have to know who your ancestors were," Laurent Dassault, the son of French tycoon Serge Dassault (chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation and owner of Le Figaro), stressed.amna

The Dassault group was launched by Marcel, the son of Noemi and Adolphe Bloch, who changed his last name to Dassault during WWII, adopting an alias given to him by his brother Darius. Marcel's son, Serge, now 87, succeeded him as the head of the influential industrial group.amna

Serge Dassault's wife and children were received by Deputy Regional Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who noted that "we are welcoming you to your home".

Referring to the family's origin, he addressed his guests as "half Greeks" and suggested the establishment of a cultural foundation bearing the Dassault name, in cooperation with the French consulate in Thessaloniki. amna

On her part, Nicole Dassault stressed that she was not fortunate to have known the mother of her father-in-law and responded to the regional governor's greeting with a statement of appreciation in Greek. amna

The Dassault family is in Thessaloniki for the inauguration of a culture hall at the city's French Institute.

The matriarch of the family left Thessaloniki in 1909 just before the outbreak of the 1911 Turkish-Italian war and soon after Villa Allatini became the residence of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid, who was placed in house arrest by members of the Young Turks movement. In 1912 Villa Allatini was used as a military hospital and in 1926 the building was used by the newly established University of Thessaloniki. During WWII it was again used as a hospital and in 1977 it was declared a cultural heritage monument.

In 1978 the building was transferred to the Thessaloniki prefecture authority.

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