Four people were inside an elevator which fell two floors at the Red Cross Hospital in Athens on Thursday, reportedly two were injured.
According to initial reports from the Athens News Agency, the elevator wires broke causing the elevator to fall. Reportedly four people were inside: a patient on a stretcher, the patient’s attendant, and two EMTs from a private ambulance. All four are undergoing medical evaluations. Reportedly one rescuer has been injured in the leg, while the other has fractures in his ribs, and the patient is in good health.
Additionally the Fire Department initially received a call about a person trapped in the elevator but was later informed that the individual had already been extricated. Despite this, a fire department vehicle was dispatched to the scene for support.
“It is unacceptable in a public hospital that the elevator falls and patients are at risk. We’re talking about the elevator where surgical patients are transported. We must today order a prosecutor’s investigation and investigate where responsibility lies, “said the president of Pan Hellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers (POEDEN), Michalis Giannakos, speaking to television channel Mega. “Doctors freed people with surgical tools,” he sated.
Giannakos stated the hospital has a inspection certificate for the elevator, as it had just undergone maintenance on December 19. He argued the maintenance company should be investigated.
Much of Greece’s healthcare infrastructure is in desperate need of upgrade, as the system has been severely impacted by years of crisis and austerity. Public healthcare facilities have shrunk by 40% since 2009, and staff numbers have been halved.
A comprehensive renovation and modernization plan for Greece’s National Health System (NHS) is underway, with €315 million allocated for Hospital Renovations and Modernization throughout Greece. ( €254 million to that total is from the EU Recovery Fund.)
The flagship project, prioritized by Prime Minister Mitsotakis, aims to upgrade infrastructure and improve patient care across 97 public hospitals and seven health regions at is meant to be completed by 2026. It includes constructing new buildings, renovating hospital wards and emergency departments, upgrading plumbing and electromechanical systems, enhancing fire safety, and modernizing facilities.
