Dimitris Kremastinos

Dimitris Kremastinos was a Greek physician, politician, and academic. He was born on May 1, 1942, in Chalki, a small island in the Dodecanese. He studied medicine at the University of Athens and the University of London, where he specialized in cardiology. He became a professor of cardiology at the University of Athens and the director of the cardiology department at the Evangelismos Hospital. He was also a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He was the personal physician of Andreas Papandreou, the former prime minister of Greece. He joined the PASOK socialist party in 1974 and served as the minister of health, welfare and social security from 1993 to 1996. He was elected as a member of the Hellenic Parliament for the Dodecanese constituency in 2000, 2009, and 2015. He also served as the vice-president of the parliament from 2015 to 2019. He was known for his dedication to public health and social justice. He died on May 8, 2020, at the age of 78, after being infected with COVID-19. He was mourned by many political leaders, colleagues, and friends as a distinguished doctor and a respected politician.