AHEPA Addresses Medical Supply Shortage Helps Secure $650,000 Shipment

WASHINGTON – A shipping container filled with more than $650,000 worth of medical supplies and equipment is bound for the AHEPA Hospital in Thessaloniki thanks to the efforts of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), a leading membership-based association for the nation’s millions of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes, which donated $15,000 to secure the shipping container and to the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), which worked diligently to coordinate the assembly of the medical supplies, announced Supreme President Dr. John Grossomanides. The container left for Thessaloniki this week.

“Austerity measures have cut public health spending in Greece by 25 percent or 12 billion dollars,” said Supreme President Dr. Grossomanides. “This has had a devastating impact upon the ability of hospitals to purchase medical supplies and equipment. The need is very real, and AHEPA, working in cooperation with the IOCC, is proud to be able to facilitate the shipment of a significant amount of aid to help address the medical supply shortage in Greece.”

The medical supplies range from syringes to walkers to catheters and nebulizers. According to Dr. Grossomanides, some of the supplies will also be transported to Evangelismos Hospital where AHEPA has a wing named after it.

“We thank the community for helping to make this important shipment of medical supplies a reality through its contributions and donations,” said Dr. Grossomanides. “The spirit of philanthropy is alive and well and it must continue to flourish if we are to meet the dire needs the people of Greece are enduring during this most difficult time. We are proud of the Greek American community’s action, and we encourage individuals and organizations to continue to donate to worthy causes that help Greece.”

In October 2012, a $5,000 AHEPA donation helped to secure a shipping container filled with more than $650,000 worth of medical and surgical supplies by the IOCC for Chios. Working together, AHEPA and IOCC have secured the shipment of $1.2 million of medical supplies thus far to Greece.