Giannis Th. Tsagaris
Mechanical Engineer, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)
Two weeks ago exactly, my father, Themelis — whose name day is today — suffered a heart attack.
When he arrived at the Kalymnos hospital, there was no cardiologist available.
Not because the island — with its 18,000 inhabitants — doesn’t need one, but because the hospital simply doesn’t have a cardiologist.
As if that wasn’t enough, all three private cardiologists on the island happened to be away.
Two of them do support the hospital by covering on-call shifts — without even having an official contract. Yet, as I’ve learned, although they had applied twice to be appointed, they ultimately declined the position for reasons unknown to me.
As a result, our island remains without a permanent cardiologist, without proper on-call scheduling, and without any guarantee for what will happen the next time someone in need of urgent care suffers a similar emergency.
That day, my father’s life was saved thanks to a private air ambulance and the help of our friend, cardiologist Michalis Koutouzis, in Athens.
The hospital’s internist arrived at 11 a.m., while the private internist on duty at the hospital was in a rush to open his private practice and couldn’t even accompany my father to the airport.
I am not disregarding the work of any doctor — I know how difficult their job is — but some things must be said.
When an entire island is left without a cardiologist and the discussion on social media revolves around “how much” doctors are paid for on-call shifts, something fundamental has been lost in the translation of humanity.
We even read a comment saying: “A shift is paid as much as three hours in their private practice,” and “How much can you expect from a heart attack patient whose wife is standing there in her nightgown and slippers?”
Well, forgive us — but when someone is fighting for their life, their worth is not measured in appointments and consultation fees.
Of course, our hospital regularly sends doctors of other specialties to other islands to cover shifts.
Can it really not ensure there is at least one cardiologist on duty every day?
In the end, it’s not just the doctors who are to blame, but also the administration — over time — which allows this chaos to continue.
Because, according to news reports, statements from the hospital administration, and visiting local and national politicians, Kalymnos Hospital is apparently a model facility — one of a kind!
We are not asking for heroes.
We are asking for organization, planning, and a hospital that doesn’t leave the island without a cardiologist — not even for a single day.
Thankfully, my father was lucky.
I only hope that next time someone else is in need, they won’t have to search for… a plane in order to find a cardiologist.
Happy name day, father.
May you celebrate next year on an island where people’s lives are not at risk — simply because they happened to suffer a heart attack in Kalymnos.
And if, God forbid, you ever need a doctor again, may we not have to count who’s on leave, who’s opening their private practice, or who is being paid “as much as three hours.”
Because the heart does not wait.
Giannis Th. Tsagaris
Mechanical Engineer, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)
