More than 8000 children will benefit annually from upgraded paediatric facilities in the regional towns of Argos and Galatas, following an AU$30,000 grant from The Hellenic Initiative Australia to Pediatric Trauma Care (Pedtrauma).

The specialist equipment purchased for the Paediatric Trauma Centre at the General Hospital of Argos and the Paediatric Clinic at the Health Centre of Galatas will provide children across the northeast Peloponnese with access to lifesaving care.

The Hellenic Initiative Australia’s support for Argos and Galatas follows an AU$60,000 grant for a major upgrade of paediatric facilities on the island of Kythira in 2019 and the northern towns of Ioannina and Kastoria in 2018.

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The Hellenic Initiative Australia President, Nicholas Pappas AM, said THI Australia was proud to be supporting five regional public hospitals through its partnership with Pedtrauma.

“These under-resourced hospitals provide critical care to children living in regional areas, including many remote and inaccessible villages,” Mr Pappas said. 

“There is an urgent need for improved local health care infrastructure and services to handle accidents and emergency cases involving children.”

The Paediatric Trauma Centre at the Hospital of Argos services the local resident population of 100,000 and the broad district of Argolida. In summer, there is additional demand on hospital services due to the increased visitors in the area, which includes the popular tourism destinations of Epidaurus, Corinth and Nemea, as well as cruise traffic to nearby Naflpio. 

The health centre in the coastal town of Galatas services the Troizinia region and the nearby island of Poros, which is connected by regular 10-minute ferry and taxi services.

The new paediatric equipment is expected to be in place in Argos by July 2020 and Galatas in September 2020.

Pedtrauma works through a growing waitlist of urgent requests from hospitals in dire need of medical equipment for treating children, including specialist trauma care. 

Since 2010, Pedtrauma has upgraded and equipped 66 paediatric departments at 57 hospitals and health centres throughout Greece, benefitting more than 1 million children. Pedtrauma also runs trauma prevention programs in schools and provides specialist paediatric trauma training for doctors.

The Galatas project has been funded with a gift from David Hill, author and chairman of Australians for the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures, who has a long association with Galatas and Poros. Read more in this Q & A.