The Hellenic Initiative Australia (THI Australia) has announced a new grant to Pediatric Trauma Care (Pedtrauma) totaling AU$28,500.
This new grant to Pedtrauma will facilitate the urgent purchase of medical equipment for the Public Health Centres on the islands of Skyros and Milos, including a vein viewer, paediatric and neonatal blood pressure monitors, a resuscitation board, an immobilisation board, a portable oxygen bottle, a pediatric optometry table, a paediatric examination bed, a portable patient stretcher, an electronic stethoscope, gauzes, and a portable defibrillator.
“We look forward to these Centres receiving lifesaving medical equipment over the coming months and we thank our generous supporters in Australia who make such grants possible,” The Hellenic Initiative Australia’s President, Nicholas Pappas AM, said.
Skyros has a population of 3,000 residents of which 700 are children and the Health Centre at Milos sees over 2,500 children per year.
“Small and remote island communities face additional challenges when it comes to accessing health care – from bad weather preventing patients from being transported to major islands for treatment, to the lack of financial resources to fund adequate care,” THI Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Stergitsa Zamagias-Hill, said.
“So, our grant goes a little way to ensuring that the residents and visitors to the Skyros and Milos Public Health Centres can receive the adequate care they deserve.”
THI Australia has been collaborating with Pedtrauma since 2018. In that time, it has assisted thousands of children receiving medical care in hospitals in Alexandropoulos, Argos, Florina, Ioannina, Kastoria, Kythira, Patras, Thessaloniki, and the health centre at Galatas with grants totalling AU$164,980.
Pedtrauma diligently monitors that the equipment purchased for hospitals and centres is well maintained and THI Australia receives regular reports on the number of patients who have benefitted from its support.
For instance, 150 newborn babies had access to the incubator purchased for the General Hospital of Florina between June – December 2021, and a further 300 children benefited from the vein viewer purchased for the ‘Ippocration’ General Hospital of Thessaloniki during the same period.