A second elevator malfunction has been reported within days at “Gennimatas” Hospital in Athens, sparking renewed concern over safety standards in Greek public hospitals.
According to reports, the latest incident occurred when a hospital employee attempted to transport a patient in a wheelchair using one of the elevators. The lift became stuck between two floors, leaving both the staff member and the patient temporarily trapped.
Speaking to local media, Michalis Giannakos, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers (POEDIN), questioned how such failures could occur despite legal requirements for maintenance and certification.
“We have repeatedly pointed out that hospitals are underfunded and their technical services severely understaffed,” Giannakos said. “But elevator malfunctions are a different issue. By law, hospitals must contract certified maintenance companies that service elevators twice a month, with an additional annual inspection by an accredited committee that issues a safety certificate.”
He added that the hospital does comply with these regulations, paying for regular maintenance and holding the necessary certification. “If the elevator has a valid certificate, the hospital cannot practically do anything more,” Giannakos noted, stressing that problems may not always be visible.
The latest malfunction follows another serious incident just days earlier, when an elevator in the same hospital suddenly dropped from the third floor, seconds after a staff member managed to exit the cabin.
