The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) announced an initial grant of 200 million euros to support the struggling Health sector in Greece.

The Ministry of Health indicated to the SNF the most pressing, prioritized, needs of the Greek Health sector and the SNF intends to undertake the task of fully funding the projects.

The new grants include, primarily, four major interventions throughout the country. However, the main projects outlined below are expected to be complemented by additional upgrades in existing hospital services, new medical equipment, and education-related projects.

The core projects include the following:

• The construction and outfitting of a new building for the General Hospital of Komotini. It is one of the oldest hospitals in Greece, with equally old infrastructure.
• The construction and outfitting of a Children’s Hospital in Thessaloniki. The establishment of a Pediatric Hospital in Thessaloniki, in response to the decades-long need of the population in the wider region, will act as a major health service and treatment hub for the whole of Northern Greece and Thessaly.
• The reconstruction and complete outfitting of the Nursing Sisters’ building at Evangelismos Hospital, with the purpose of operating as the Chair of the University’s Faculty of Nursing.
• Strengthening the capability and efficiency of the National Center for Emergency Care’s (EKAV) air ambulance services, with the aim of achieving comprehensive coverage of the entire country. The grant initially focuses on the procurement of 2 new helicopters and the repair/upgrade of the older ones. This particular grant comes as an addition to a previous SNF grant to EKAV, currently under implementation, which covers, among others, the procurement of 143 state-of-the-art ambulances as well as their full service and maintenance for a period of 8 years and the digital upgrade of its operations center.

Since 1996, when the SNF began its grant-making activity, the SNF has provided grants totaling more than 100 million euros for the support of the Greek Health sector.

Source: greece.greekreporter.com