Shortfall in Epirus
The prefecture of Epirus, in the northwestern corner of the country, is seriously lacking intensive care facilities, according to Associate Professor Giorgos Nakos of Ioannina University Hospital. «Our university serves all of Epirus and the Ionian Islands. At present, we have 14 intensive care beds, which are nearly always filled, and room for another four or five patients in the Hatzicostas Hospital,» said Nakos. «The problem is not so much the number of beds but the absence of an intermediate ‘step down’ unit, something between intensive care and additional care units, which would allow us to separate serious cases with a multiple breakdown of vital organs, from chronic patients who have one organ that is not working properly. These units require less nursing staff, are cheaper to run and give patients more contact with their families.» «What is tragic is the lack of nursing staff, the lowest in Europe,» said Nakos. «The patient-nurse ratio is unacceptable – during the evening shift, one nurse is responsible for four or five patients. «According to the Health Ministry, we need another 35 nurses. The alternative is to transfer patients to Athens, but this is usually not possible, as they are too ill,» he added.
