From Friday 8 April up to Monday 11 April 2022, in the context of the new activity of the Ministry of National Defence “Healthcare for all by the Armed Forces”, the first mission was conducted to the small island complex of Agathonisi, Leipsoi, Arkioi and Pserimos, with the goal of the Armed Forces’ assistance to the enhancement of healthcare provision to the local population.

With the care of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, a multi-member inter-service mobile medical echelon consisting of five Military Doctors from the specialties of ophthalmologist, cardiologist, pediatrician, ΕΝΤ (ear-nose-throat), orthopedic and two Nurses of the Armed Forces, visited these small border islands and provided primary healthcare to its inhabitants.

The transportation of the echelon was conducted by the Gunboat NIKIFOROS, while the inhabitants’ examination and the provision of medical services were conducted at the local Regional/Rural Health Clinics of the islands.

Similar missions have been scheduled for this year’s second and third terms, for small island complexes of the Aegean and Ionian Seas.

With this new activity, the Ministry of National Defence provides targeted support and enhancement to the Borderers of insular Greece, listens closely to their medical problems by providing them high quality medical and nursing services and at the same time it builds a bridge of solidarity for the support of our fellow citizens, who need assistance and care.

The Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr Nikolaos Chardalias made the following statement regarding the commencement of this activity:

“The guidelines of our Minister Mr Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos and everyone’s planning at the Ministry of National Defence are clear and pertain to our fellow citizens in every corner of our Homeland. The Armed Forces, apart from their purely operational mission, always constitute a dynamic presence at every critical field for the preservation of social cohesion, providing high-level primary healthcare to the inhabitants of our border islands and thus promoting the feeling of medical safety of the local societies”.

The Chief of HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros, in the context of today’s visits to the area, met with members of the mobile inter-service medical echelon aboard the Gunboat NIKIFOROS, during the completion of the first mission of the new activity “Healthcare for all by the Armed Forces”.