Greece's public health system saved the life of a critically injured billionaire tourist after the man's private medical insurance team refused to evacuate him from a Greek island, deeming his condition "hopeless," the country's health minister said.
In a recent statement, Health Minister Mr. Adonis Georgiadis recounted the dramatic rescue.
He said the tourist suffered multiple critical injuries in a car accident and was stabilized at a local island health center.
A private medical team arrived by helicopter but declined to transport the patient.
“In response, we dispatched EKAV’s air ambulance… and the two Health Center doctors who cared for the tourist flew with him to Athens,” Mr. Georgiadis said, noting the patient had to be resuscitated twice during the flight.
“What the world’s largest private insurance company could not do, the ESY [Greece's public health system] did,” the minister emphasized.
The tourist underwent surgery in Athens and is now in stable condition in an intensive care unit.
Mr. Georgiadis used the incident to praise the public health system, concluding, “Let’s not criticize the ESY all day long.”