September 3, 2024

 Donation of Medical Equipment for the Reopening of the Emergency Department at the Palamas Health Center

Mazi gia to Paidi (Together for Children) delivered essential medical equipment to facilitate the reopening of the Emergency Department at the Palamas Health Center in Thessaly, which was completely destroyed by the floods that hit the area in September 2023.

The inauguration ceremony for the Health Center took place on Monday, September 2nd, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis, Deputy Minister of Health Eirini Agapidaki, Deputy Minister of Health Marios Themistocleous, Governor of the 5th Health Region of Thessaly & Central Greece Fotis Seretis, Mayor of Palamas Sokratis Daskalopoulos, President of Together for Children Alexandra Martinou, pediatrician and Vice President of Together for Children Ioannis Papadatos, and representatives of the sponsors.

Thanks to the donation from Together for Children, the unit is now capable of supporting the urgent needs of the 17,000 residents in the area. It is noted that the Emergency Department serves over 4,000 cases annually on average.

Provision of Medical Equipment

The donation of medical equipment covers all recorded needs for the effective operation of the unit and includes medical devices such as a biphasic defibrillator, a 12-lead electrocardiograph (ECG), a suction device, a blood pressure and oximetry monitor for adults and children (with pediatric cuffs), as well as general medical equipment such as a surgical table & surgical spotlight, an autoclave, four patient transport wheelchairs, and a patient transport stretcher.

The reopening of the medical facility was made possible through the equipment provided by Together for Children, with the generous support of the companies: HERACLES Group, Cepal Hellas, Goldair, PwC Greece.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated: “One year after the devastating flood caused by ‘Daniel,’ the Palamas Health Center is better than it was before. This is due to the coordinated efforts of the government and the private sector. I would like to thank Mrs. Alexandra Martinou, Together for Children and all the sponsors who supported this effort, in record time, allowing us to rebuild the health center, but more importantly, to upgrade it with additional healthcare services, so that the residents of the wider area can enjoy quality primary care.”

Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis emphasized: “Today, we welcomed the Prime Minister to the Palamas Health Center in Karditsa to show him the results of the intensive work of the Ministry of Health after the major destructive flood caused by ‘Daniel.’ Today, the Health Center is better than before. Health services have been upgraded, we have brought in additional staff, additional equipment, and it has become almost a small hospital. The project has been included in the Recovery Fund and in a year it will be even better than what you see today. I would especially like to thank the Mayor of Palamas Mr. Daskalopoulos, with whom we had steady cooperation, the Governor of the 5th Health Region Mr. Seretis, and of course Mrs. Martinou and Together for Children.”

The President of Together for Children, Alexandra Martinou, stated: “From the very beginning, the Together for Children team has been by the side of the families in Thessaly, offering assistance through the Emergency Interventions program. Today, we were in Palamas, where we delivered a fully equipped department to the Health Center so that it can respond to the urgent needs of the residents in the area. With the meaningful contribution of our supporters and volunteers, together, we can overcome any difficulty and provide relief where it is needed.”

Together for Children’s Actions in Thessaly:

Together for Children has been supporting the residents of Thessaly from the very beginning through the Emergency Interventions program, providing essential goods, food, and basic necessities while also contributing to meeting health and mental health needs:

  • With the start of the school year, Together for Children responded to the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs & Sports’ call to gather school supplies for the children of Thessaly. A total of 2,650 boxes filled with school supplies were collected in collaboration with the “Oloi Mazi Boroume” initiative and the Region of Attica.
  • Together for Children’s support for the residents of Thessaly continued with assistance for large families in the prefectures of Trikala and Magnesia. In collaboration with the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies (PEF), through the Food Drive initiative and with the help of PEF employees and its member companies, 5.5 tons of food products and cleaning and personal hygiene items were collected.
  • Together for Children provided the Giannouli Local Health Unit with essential medical equipment, furniture for the clinics, furnished patient waiting areas (for both adults and children), as well as air conditioning units to aid in the reopening of the center. The Giannouli Local Health Unit serves a population of over 8,000 permanent residents, handling an average of 1,800 general medical cases and 640 pediatric cases annually.
  • Healthcare materials (medical masks, protective suits, face shields & protective goggles) were provided for all health facilities in the 5th Health Region of Thessaly.
  • Additionally, Together for Children, with the generous donation from the Union of Greek Shipowners, initiated a program to provide monthly assistance to 107 families with minor children, totaling 387 beneficiaries, to meet basic needs. The beneficiaries, who face significant difficulties and reside in 29 areas of Thessaly, specifically in the prefectures of Trikala, Karditsa, and Larissa, receive vouchers for the period from June to December 2024. At the same time, the program offers the beneficiary families the opportunity to use free psychological support and counseling services from specialized psychologists of the Together for Children’s 115 25 helpline and Counseling Center, while also providing the option of free diagnostic medical tests for children in collaboration with a partner center in Attica.