SOCIETY

- Primary Health Care (General Practice & Pediatric -in Athens).

Both the General Practice and the Pediatric address to vulnerable groups that face social and economical exlusion and have reduced access to health care services. The clinics provide examination and treatment of acute episodes, including medical referrals where necessary as well as monitoring of chronic cases. The pediatric department (which operates in Athens’ Polyclinic) also provides examination for students in order to obtain individual health cards, as well as vaccination planned in a bimonthly frequency. At the same time, the Mobile Unit of PRAKSIS visits schools, camps and communities for pediatric examination and health information.

During 2013, a total of 23,799 beneficiaries visited the General Practice of the polyclinics in Athens and Thessaloniki. Alongside 1,799 children visited the Pediatric Department of Athens’ Polyclinic.

- Gynecological monitoring.

The Gynecological Department provides primary gynecological monitoring. During 2013, 2,060 women visited the gynecological department of the Polyclinic of Athens and Thessaloniki.

- Dental coverage.

The dental department provides services such as fillings, endodontic and periodontal treatment, extractions, stomatological examination and check. During 2013, 3,297 people visited the dental department of both Polyclinics.

- Pharmaceutical care.

Pharmaceutical care derives from the offering of our fellow humans, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies, who come to our structures and offer the drugs. Even a formulation of the most common drug that anyone keeps in his house can make the difference. In 2013, the two of PRAKSIS Pharmacies in Athens and Thessaloniki granted 37,329 Pharmaceutical preparations in 9,899 patients (of total value 514.707,43 €).

- Psychosocial support.

Social Services, based in both polyclinics, play a central role in order to record requests / needs, to give direct and updated information / awareness and to provide internal and external interface and monitoring, as well as counseling and guidance in social welfare issues for adults and children.

The main purpose of Social Services is to relieve the beneficiaries’ population in crisis, based always on an honest and realistic scope and the education of the individual who is facing a problem towards future management and resolution of the situation. In recent years, due to the economic crisis in Greece, the largest group served by the Social Service of both Polyclinics in Athens and Thessaloniki are the Greeks.

- Work Counseling.

The main objective of this service is to support beneficiaries in a multifaced manner through information activities and employment counseling in order to gain a complete idea of the labor market and their personal skills and competences and subsequently to promote them in the labor market. The placement of beneficiaries in jobs obtained through the target interface with the labor market and through the overall strengthening and upgrading skills of the target group by linking the beneficiaries with training and educational organizations.

- Legal Aid.

The provided legal services of Polyclinics affect all socially excluded people who are unable to access legal assistance and who are faced with practices that constitute a flagrant violation of their fundamental rights and freedoms by the official authorities. Overall for 2013, 5,336 beneficiaries were provided legal aid in Athens and Thessaloniki.

- Actions for Education and Promotion of Health of the Supported Populations.

Public Health Project has as main goal the Education and Promotion of Health of groups of population which consist the target groups of the NGO.

These projects are implemented through:

- interventions on the field (streetwork)
- public awareness campaigns (HIV, Hepatitis A, B, C)
- informative discussions at schools, prisons and rehabilitation centres of addicted people
- educational seminars referring to the issues the agency is dealing with.

Within the framework of such activities – and on a regular basis – there are many specific activities taking place vis-à-vis information and testing for HIV and Hepatitis C. Specially trained staff and volunteers inform about HIV, Hepatitis and sexual transmitted infections at various spots in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras and on a systematic framework. Moreover, they offer the chance to those who want to for a rapid test for HIV and Hepatitis B and B, for free and anonymously. This testing takes place at PRAKSIS Polyclinics in Athens and Patras, at Drop-In Centre for Unaccompanied Minors at Patras and at Athens Day Centre for Homeless.

The testing procedure consists of three stages:

1. Pre counseling.
2. Testing.
3. Announcement of the results, post counseling and in the case it is needed immediate referral to the Special Infections Centres.

For the period from January till December 2013, 5,576 Rapid HIV Tests took place and antibodies were found in 51 cases. There is also a project for information about Hepatitis B. C and for HIV through the phone line (800 11 11 60) which operates on a daily basis and offers information regarding prevention, infection and testing. The call to this line is for free. The line is staffed by special trained personnel and the service is offered for free and anonymously. From 01/01.2014 till 31/12/2014, the phone line answered to 6,517 calls.

Part of the Public Health project is networking between PRAKSIS and other NGOs and stakeholders for better dissemination of activities and the enhancement of their focused implementation. So, in collaboration with other specialist agencies such as KETHEA, there are seminars organized for drug users with certain thematic subjects:

- Harm reduction techniques
- Information about Hepatitis
- Information about HIV
- First Aid
- Effects of substances.

Relevant informative activities take place at detention centres – to inmates and to members of staff following requests placed by either the centre or of agencies which implement activities in such placements. Meanwhile, there are informative activities which take place at Accommodation Centres where immigrants and refugees are placed regarding hygiene rules and infectious diseases. Informative sessions of this kind, i.e. hygiene rules, first aid and infectious diseases are carried out at schools, colleges and universities after invitation placed by the principles of the educational institutions.