Last week on September 2, we reported on the unfortunate road accident on August 17 that put the only operational ambulance in West Mani out of action. The local volunteer organisation GAIA – Civil Protection Volunteers of Western Mani – were the first to raise the alarm and demand action be taken to resolve the situation with some fairly heavyweight proclamations, culminating in “Let’s not wait for a tragedy before we act. Let’s act now.”

We also reported on the proposal that an out of commission replacement be sent over from Pylos.  That vehicle then arrived at Agios Nikolaos. Reports identify it as an ambulance approximately 30 years old with around 980,000–1,000,000 km on the clock.  However, it appears to have lasted only a few days. MEGA TV reported yesterday, 7 September, that the Pylos ambulance had already broken down and been taken out of service. MEGA says a solution is now being sought through EKAB (the National Centre for Emergency Assistance).

Local politicians, according to local news outlets, seem to have turned the issue into a political hot potato. Hers’ a brief summary:

Alexis Charitsis — Independent
Elected with SYRIZA and subsequently became president of New Left (Νέα Αριστερά), but the Parliament’s current listing now records him under Independent.

“Replacing an ambulance that was put out of service with a 30-year-old vehicle with almost 1 million kilometers does not constitute a substantial boost. It is a temporary patch to a problem that requires a permanent and reliable solution. Western Mani is not a second-class area,”

Menelaos Geronikolos, a Messinian politician and businessman associated with PASOK. He has stood several times for Parliament in the Messinia constituency, although he is not currently an MP.

“We call on them( the government) to now provide a solution to the problems they themselves have created and to stop playing with the lives of our fellow citizens. And one more thing. We inform the government that PASOK will not allow Messinia to become a victim of the settling of scores that is taking place within the blue apartment building.”

Manolis Makaris, a prominent Messinian doctor and local/regional politician, particularly associated with the centre-left/left and, historically, SYRIZA. He is an elected Peloponnese Regional Councillor and is the leader of the “Peloponnese First” regional council.

“The position of our party “Peloponnese First” is clear, it has been publicly stated many times and we repeat it: Permanent Emergency Department in Western Mani (at the Agios Nikolaos Hospital), with 24-hour operation, permanent and adequate staff, full crews and modern, reliable ambulances. Emergency prehospital care cannot operate in a patchwork fashion.”

The Popular Coalition of West Mani. It is not an independent national political party. It is the local-government electoral grouping supported by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE – ΚΚΕ).

“The 6th Ministry of Health’s (Greece is divided into 7 government-run Health Ministries) response to the serious problem that arose with the ambulance of the Agios Nikolaos Hospital after the serious accident that occurred is both angering and appalling. The state, under the responsibility of all governments, “fries” the popular classes daily, spends billions from the budget to support big capital, while not even providing basic services to the people.”

So, from centre to left, politicians of all flavours are seizing the opportunity to use the ambulance situation as a reason to heavily criticise the sitting government. And you can’t blame them, can you? With a permanent population of close to 6,000 that swells with tourism every summer, to have no functioning ambulance seems outrageous.

The local news reports to date cite one lone voice who is promising a solution in support of the government. Let’s hope she is right.

Peggy Nika, a Messinian businesswoman and politician associated with New Democracy. Politically, she was a New Democracy candidate for MP for Messinia in the May 2023 general election. She was not elected.

“The tender for 20 new ambulances has been completed – One of the first new vehicles will be sent to the Agios Nikolaos Health Center in West Mani at the end of September. I want to congratulate the Administration of the 6th Health Region for its immediate response to the issue of the ambulance of the Agios Nikolaos Health Center. The problematic vehicle is being immediately replaced by a newer available ambulance, in order to meet the current needs of the area”.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 10:

Following the problem with the availability of an ambulance for the Mani region, the Member of Parliament for Messinia, Periklis Mantas, visited the Agios Nikolaos Health Center and then made the following statement:

“First of all, we owe an apology to the citizens of Mani for the disruption and insecurity that has been created in recent days with the ambulance issue. In health, and especially in an emergency, the citizen must feel that the State is by his side. And when a problem arises, our responsibility is not to embellish it, but to recognize it and, above all, to solve it.

That is why we immediately proceeded to consultation with all the competent bodies. The problem is being temporarily addressed by moving an ambulance from Kyparissia, in order to cover the needs of the Agios Nikolaos Health Center. And most importantly, by the end of September, the receipt of a new ambulance is planned, which will provide a permanent solution to the problem.”

Sources: Tharros News, Messinia Live