A €32,500 equipment donation to the Cardiology Department and calls for permanent medical staff are at the centre of the local party organisation’s criticism of the health minister.
The Kalymnos branch of PASOK–Movement for Change has sharply criticised Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis over his visit to the island, arguing that donations to the hospital should neither be presented as government achievements nor replace the state’s responsibility for public healthcare.
In a statement dated October 1, 2026, the local organisation focuses on equipment supplied to the hospital’s Cardiology Department. According to the statement, the equipment was funded through a €32,500 donation, rather than purchased by the Ministry of Health.
The donation includes a central monitoring station, two vital-signs monitors, an electrocardiograph and a defibrillator. Kalymnos PASOK warmly thanks Katerina and Ilias Kathopoulis, describing their contribution as an act of social responsibility and a practical expression of their commitment to the island.
At the same time, the organisation challenges the way the department’s improvement has been publicised. It argues that the minister’s priority should be to publicly acknowledge the donors and those who have consistently supported the hospital, alongside its medical and nursing staff.
Staffing is the central issue raised in the statement. The local branch stresses that the Cardiology Department already existed and maintains that the essential shortfall remains permanent doctors. It draws a distinction between renovating facilities and acquiring equipment, and securing the staff needed to operate them.
The statement also refers to the minister’s July 2026 visit for the opening of the renovated Emergency Department at Kalymnos Hospital. As another example of donations featuring in ministerial visits, it cites his attendance at the handover of a €16,000 cardiac ultrasound scanner in Kos, donated by the island’s AHEPA “Hippocrates” chapter.
Kalymnos PASOK calls for public funding to provide infrastructure, equipment and, above all, adequate medical and nursing staff. While recognising the importance of donors, it argues that island residents’ healthcare cannot depend solely on private generosity.
“Kalymnos Hospital deserves more than opening ceremonies. It deserves a genuine, strong public healthcare system,” the local organisation concludes.
