The Municipal Council of Ithaca has decided to submit a request to the competent ministries and agencies to strengthen the island’s emergency health coverage. Specifically, the request is addressed to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Defense, the National Health Services Organization (EOPYY), the General Secretariat of Civil Protection and the EKAB Readiness Base.
The proposal concerns the permanent parking and operational readiness of an airlift helicopter, in collaboration with EKAB, the Fire Department or the Air Force, with an operations base in Aktio, Preveza or in Kefalonia. At the same time, the cooperation of the Region of the Ionian Islands and the other Municipalities in the area is requested, so that the request can be supported collectively.
The initiative comes after a recent serious traffic accident, in which a fellow citizen suffered head injuries and required a long-term transport by sea and successive ambulances to the University Hospital of Rio. The incident highlighted the chronic problems of healthcare coverage: Ithaca has only one fully functional ambulance, while the second is often out of service. The Health Center operates understaffed, without a permanent pediatrician and with limited medical, nursing and technical staff, despite the dedicated efforts of the employees.
The Prefect of Ithaca, Smaragda Theod. Sardeli, in a letter to the Minister of Health, stressed that Ithaca is not asking for preferential treatment, but for equal access to health and the protection of life, as stipulated by the Constitution. In particular, the inability to provide immediate air transport is costing lives and making the situation dangerous for residents and visitors.
The smooth and rapid evacuation of patients is considered critical not only for the safety of residents, but also for the tourism development of the island, which welcomes thousands of visitors annually. The creation of a permanent air ambulance helicopter base ensures immediate and safe access to hospital care, protects the lives of visitors and contributes to maintaining Ithaca’s reputation as a safe and organized tourist destination.
The decision of the Ithaca Municipal Council underlines the need for coordinated actions by all relevant bodies, in order to ensure the effective and safe operation of the air ambulance system, as well as the overall health protection of the island.
