Free medical exams and medications for the people of Evrytania ‘Travelling for Health 2013’ Program continues

On October 18 and 19, a team of 56 HYGEIA Group volunteers travelled to Karpenisi and performed 3,500 free medical and diagnostic tests on 1,200 residents of Evrytania. The team was made up of 26 physicians with 14 different specialties, as well as nursing, technical and administrative staff.

The medical team included three internal medicine doctors, four cardiologists, two general surgeons, two ophthalmologists, two pediatricians, a plastic surgeon, a vascular surgeon, two gynecologists, two orthopedic doctors, two ENT doctors, two radiologists, an anesthesiologist, a urologist and a pulmonologist. The exams were performed at the Karpenisi Conference Center, which had been set up accordingly with equipment that had been transferred by HYGEIA vehicles.

The diagnostic tests included blood tests, Pap tests, body & vascular U/S, cardiograms and heart pulsed-wave Doppler, while 15 minor surgeries were also performed.

HYGEIA Group also donated a fully-equipped pediatric crash cart and a color ultrasound imaging device to Karpenisi Hospital.

The Mayor of Karpenisi, Mr Kostas Bakogiannis, thanked the HYGEIA Group representatives for their generous offer, noting, “Our remote area and the difficulties encountered by the residents in accessing major urban centers raises social exclusion issues. Especially in the healthcare sector, the needs are even greater, both for medical and lab services. HYGEIA Hospital’s initiative proved quite significant for us, since hundreds of our fellow citizens were given the chance to be examined, leading to the early diagnosis of diseases using advanced diagnostic tests.”

Commenting on the initiative, HYGEIA Group’s CEO, Ms Areti Souvatzoglou, stated, “Following our successful endeavor this summer in three remote Greek islands (Agathonisi, Leipsoi, Fournoi), we are continuing our healthcare voyage, to a mountainous region this time, so as to meet the needs of people who do not have easy access to healthcare services. The enthusiasm of the residents who welcomed us, as well as the willingness demonstrated by HYGEIA’s medical, nursing, technical and administrative staff to participate in the program voluntarily, encourages us to continue our efforts in other locations as well. We will not cease to offer free-of-charge services to the neglected parts of Greece and to the people who are experiencing harsh living conditions in remote and hard-to-reach areas.”