On Friday morning the relics of Aghia (St.) Barbara will be transfered to the St. Savvas cancer hospital of Athens, where Health Minister Panagiotis Kouroumblis will be present to receive them with all due pomp and ceremony.

It is not be the first time that such relics, holy icons and other religious symbols have been sent to the chapel of the specific hospital, however, it is the first time that the minister himself will be there to not only receive the items but worship them as a political representative.

The minister will be joined by other believers who believe the relics will work miraculously to alleviate their pain, and – why not – cure their disease.  The visit is highly symbolic as it comes at a time when St. Savvas hospital is so short-staffed that the Nikos Kourkoulos Unit – donated by shipping heiress Marianna Latsi at the end of January – has yet to be serviced.

Perhaps the minister has decided to turn to faith in the hope that the deficiencies of the Greek health system can be overcome.  The flaws in the hospital system are merely exacerbating the troubles of cancer patients. Kouroumblis, Greece’s blind health minister, who knows the system from the inside-out was informed by administrators, hospital managers, doctors etc. of the situation at Greek state hospitals in February shortly after taking up his duties. He heard a lot, promised a lot but has so far done very little for those who put their faith in him.

Now the time has come for him to put his faith in the relics of St. Barbara. The relationship between faith and healing in Greece is usually vibrant, intense and checkered. It isn’t a coincidence that the link between faith and healing has been studied by the University of Athens.