Through a joint initiative of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and the Greek Shipowners’ Social Welfare Company SYN-ENOSIS, the implementation of the 2nd cycle of the “Collaborating for Health” programme commenced in 2019. The aim of the programme is to meet the urgent needs of the Public Health sector and contribute to the upgrade of its infrastructure, as well as to enhance the services of the public healthcare providers in Greece.

As part of the programme, requests by healthcare providers across the country are evaluated along with SYN-ENOSIS. The requests are related to a) procuring medical equipment and b) upgrading the infrastructure of public or other non-profit healthcare providers.

The 2nd cycle of the programme focused on supporting Hospital units/departments that provide vital health services to patients in need of intensive care and the equipment of which required to be upgraded due to its obsolescence. Other main assessment and selection criteria were the extent to which the specific donation was an imperative necessity for the operation of the final recipient (Clinic/Department/Unit/Health Centre) of the donation, the proportion of each donation and the reduction of inequality in the provision of healthcare (such as: decrease of patient’s movement or inconvenience, provision of healthcare to vulnerable social groups), as well as the contribution to the enhancement of the healthcare provider’s self-efficiency.

Therefore, the following donations were completed within 2019:

• Donation of six beds and three respirators, in order to upgrade the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Anticancer Hospital of Thessaloniki “Theageneio”.
  
  The ICU of Theagenio, which is the only anticancer hospital in Northern Greece, receives 650-700 cases per year, both oncological and of a general nature (e.g. multiple injuries, neurological cases, cerebrovascular accidents, etc.).
   
• Donation of six dialysis machines, in order to upgrade the Dialysis Kidney Unit of the General Hospital of Kavala.
  
  The Department serves a total of 80-100 patients on chronic dialysis per year, as well as emergency cases of acute renal failure in the prefecture.
   
• Donation of four dialysis machines, in order to cover the needs of the Dialysis Kidney Unit of the General Hospital of Xanthi.
  
  The Hospital covers the needs of the prefecture of Xanthi as well as the neighbouring prefectures and serves approximately 60 patients per year.
   
• Donation of four monitors, one central patient monitoring station and a computer, for the purpose of upgrading the Intensive Care Unit of the General Hospital of Ioannina “G. Hatzikosta”.
  
  The Hospital serves the entire northwest Greece as well as the Ionian islands, and 180 to 200 patients are treated in the ICU annually.
   
• Donation of one blood bank refrigerated centrifuge, for the purpose of upgrading the Blood Donation Unit of the General Hospital of Aghios Nikolaos in Crete.
  
  The Blood Donation Unit of the General Hospital of Aghios Nikolaos is the only department in the prefecture that collects blood; it performs 2,000 to 3,000 blood donations per year and covers the needs of the Prefecture of Lasithi and part of the needs of the Prefecture of Heraklion.

At the same time, as part of the 2nd cycle of the programme, the implementation of the following donations to Health Centres of the 2nd Regional Health Directorate of Piraeus and Aegean Islands have been set in motion:

• Health Centre of Amorgos - Supply and installation of oxygen generating systems for medical use.
• Health Centre of Ios - Supply and installation of oxygen generating systems for medical use.
• Health Centre of Patmos - Supply and installation of oxygen generating systems for medical use.
• Health Centre of Milos - Supply and installation of oxygen generating systems for medical use.

“Through the ‘Collaborating for Health’ programme we upgraded key and necessary equipment of our Unit that was 25years old. This new equipment, on the one hand, gives the opportunity to reduce the patients’ duration of hospitalization, resulting to more empty beds and, on the other hand, facilitates the work of our nursing staff.”

Souzana Anisoglou

Director of ICU, Anticancer Hospital of Thessaloniki “Theageneio”

“The new blood bank refrigerated centrifuge is necessary for the proper operation of the Blood Donation Unit of the Hospital and the correct separation of blood components and allows us to provide high-quality services to the citizens of our Prefecture.”

Maria Spinthouri

Director, General Hospital of Aghios Nikolaos