An elderly tourist visiting Anavra in central Greece suffered a heart attack and died just metres from the village's rural clinic because it was closed.
The incident occurred last Sunday, August 18, when the woman was visiting the area with a group of tourists. She felt unwell and fainted. However, the village clinic was closed.
A nurse on the tour tried to give the elderly woman first aid, but she eventually died. An ambulance arrived from another town 20 minutes later. Situated at an altitude of 780 metres on Mount Othrys and 40 km from Volos, the village is famous for its waterfalls and is a popular holiday destination for tourists in the area.
The case has sparked anger across the region, with authorities in Almyros, the municipality to which Anavra belongs, saying the appointed doctor has barely opened a clinic. Almyros Deputy Mayor Yiannis Tsantouris complained that since the doctor was appointed last January, he has only provided three services in the village and the clinic has since closed, leaving the area without health care.
In a letter to regional and central health authorities, Tsantouris expressed his anger and disappointment at the unacceptable situation that has developed in the Anavra rural clinic, as “it is obvious that human life is devalued when the competent authorities do not take the necessary measures for the proper functioning of health structures, especially in remote areas.”
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