The region’s newish ambulance, acquired in 2022, has been badly damaged in a road accident, leaving West Mani once again without a dedicated emergency vehicle.

A problem West Mani thought had finally been solved has returned. The Agios Nikolaos Health Center is once again without an operational ambulance after its modern vehicle was seriously damaged in a road accident last week.

The ambulance had been acquired following years of campaigning by the local community and had finally provided a solution to a long-standing problem. It is now in a workshop while the extent of the damage is assessed. It is not yet known whether it can be repaired, how much this would cost, or when it could return to service. This leaves West Mani facing a worrying question: what happens when a medical emergency occurs?

A Replacement from Pylos

Following the accident, efforts were made to find a temporary replacement. With no ambulance available from EKAB or another nearby facility, a vehicle from Pylos was eventually offered. However, that ambulance had been out of service for some time and has itself been sent to a workshop to determine whether it is mechanically safe and suitable for use. The result is that West Mani currently has no dedicated operational ambulance.

GAIA Sounds the Alarm

The volunteer organisation GAIA – Civil Protection Volunteers of Western Mani has highlighted the seriousness of the situation and called for urgent action. GAIA notes that the accident occurred in the early hours of last Thursday and, fortunately, nobody was injured. But the organisation is asking a question many local people will share:

“Are we going back to square one?”

GAIA recalls the long campaign required to secure the modern ambulance for the Agios Nikolaos Health Center. When it finally arrived, it appeared that one of West Mani’s most serious healthcare problems had been resolved. Now the organisation warns that relying on an old or unreliable replacement vehicle is simply not good enough for such a large and geographically challenging area. “In an emergency there is no ‘we’ll see’. There is no ‘when it’s fixed’. There is only time. And often, time is life.”

The issue is particularly important in West Mani, where distances from major medical facilities and the region’s mountainous road network can make emergency response times critical.

Call for a New Ambulance

GAIA says it is not looking to assign blame. Instead, it is calling on the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Health and regional health services, to provide the Agios Nikolaos Health Center with a new, modern and reliable ambulance as soon as possible. The need affects not only permanent residents, including elderly and disabled people, families and workers, but also the thousands of visitors who come to West Mani, particularly during the summer. Having already waited years for a modern ambulance, GAIA argues that the region should not have to begin that process all over again. Its message is simple and urgent:

“Let’s not wait for a tragedy before we act. Let’s act now.”