In Brief
SKIN CANCER
Great demand for free tests offered by dermatologists Dermatologists in Athens and Thessaloniki were yesterday besieged by citizens seeking free tests for melanomas – the most dangerous form of skin cancer – after more than 320 dermatologists agreed to offer their services for the duration of National Anti-Skin Cancer Week. A similar campaign last year detected 12 melanomas after 600 people were tested and 18 cases in 2000 when 1,495 people were tested. A greater number of people tested was expected this year. To arrange a test, call (between 8 a. m. and 3 p. m.): Athens: 010.721.0839 or 010.722.3707; Thessaloniki: 0310.886391. MIGRANTS Turkish forces detain 248 Greece-bound migrants Turkish security forces yesterday detained 248 people who had been trying to enter Greece illegally, in a dawn raid near the bay of Bogsak on the Mediterranean coast. The Anatolia news agency said 160 detainees were Turkish nationals, but did not specify the nationality of the rest. Also yesterday, five Iranian immigrants were arrested on the Aegean islet of Farmakonisi by coast guards from nearby Leros. ROAD ACCIDENTS March crashes, deaths down March 2002 boasted 17.5 percent fewer accidents (1,439) than in March 2001 (1,746), according to the latest statistics from the automobile association ELPA made public yesterday. Deaths were also down, with 119 this March as opposed to 126 in March last year. The March figure was an improvement on February 2002, in which there were 15.8 per cent more accidents than in February 2001. IKA strike Social Security Foundation (IKA) clinics will be operating with skeleton staff on Thursday and Friday after IKA doctors decided yesterday to resume their action. Protesters have been striking on and off since last June, demanding permanency for 5,500 of their colleagues on short-term contracts, a ranking system and more bonuses. Cash couriers Security workers responsible for transferring money are to stage a 24-hour strike tomorrow. Protesters are demanding the reinstatement of colleagues they claim were unfairly dismissed, new safety regulations and overtime payment. Stop order An Athenian who sued Attica’s traffic police chief, Constantinos Tzekis, after receiving what he believed was an unfair 62-euro parking fine in Kolonaki will not have to pay until his case against Tzekis is heard, a court ruled yesterday. The motorist, whose license plates were also removed, claimed that Tzekis ignored his appeals, was in breach of his duties and made false statements. Health complaints Greeks are more dissatisfied than any other Europeans with their national health service, with eight out of 10 rejecting it, says a report by the Organization for European Cooperation and Development (OECD) made public in daily Ta Nea yesterday. The report was dismissed yesterday by Health Minister Alekos Papadopoulos, who said its data reflected the situation before 1999 and that things have changed. Battle of Crete Deputy Chief of Staff of the Greek Armed Forces Vice Admiral Constantine Nikitiadis is due in Sydney tomorrow for the annual memorial ceremony for the 1941 Battle of Crete, in which thousands of Australians and New Zealanders fought and many lost their lives. Nikitiadis will also visit Melbourne, Canberra and Wellington for commemorative events culminating on Monday, May 20, the day the German invasion commenced. The events will bring together veteran soldiers, and armed forces representatives as well as members of the local Greek and Cypriot communities. Chrysostomos The health of Cypriot Archbishop Chrysostomos has improved since Saturday when he was admitted to Athens’s Evangelismos hospital, following a fall two weeks ago.
