The president of Greece’s ambulance workers’ union, Giorgos Mathiopoulos, has called for the immediate strengthening of the country’s National Emergency Aid Center (EKAB), saying the service needs between 1,000 and 1,500 additional rescuers to meet nationwide needs.
Speaking to MEGA News 104.6, Mathiopoulos said staffing shortages are the main problem facing EKAB, particularly in areas where available personnel are insufficient to cover all shifts.
His comments came following the death of a 15-year-old boy in Karitsa, Larissa, and amid concerns over problems with emergency patient transfers in other parts of Greece, including the island of Aegina.
Up to 1,500 additional rescuers needed
Mathiopoulos said EKAB would need a significant increase in staffing to effectively cover emergency needs across the country.
According to the union president, hiring 1,000 to 1,500 additional rescuers would allow EKAB to cover staffing needs across its sectors nationwide, with particular attention given to areas experiencing the most serious shortages.
He stressed that the issue is not limited to increasing the number of employees but also concerns the broader organization of prehospital emergency care.
Closer cooperation with health centers
Mathiopoulos also proposed closer cooperation between EKAB, health centers and regional medical clinics, particularly on small islands and in remote areas.
The aim, he said, would be to improve coordination and ensure that emergency needs and shifts can be covered by making better use of the available health care personnel in each area.
According to Mathiopoulos, staff shortages and the geographic distribution of EKAB’s personnel require a new nationwide plan so that the service’s operational capacity can better match the needs of individual regions.
“EKAB needs to grow”
“EKAB needs to grow,” Mathiopoulos said, emphasizing the need for both new hires and an overall redesign of prehospital emergency care.
His comments come as incidents in different parts of Greece have brought renewed attention to problems facing the country’s emergency prehospital care system and the need for adequate staffing, particularly on islands and in remote areas.
