Father of victim urges improved healthcare
The father of an Australian tourist who was killed on Myconos asked Greek authorities yesterday to improve healthcare on the islands, as Health Minister Dimitris Avramo-poulos revealed that Oliver Zammit’s gesture of donating his son’s organs on Friday has prompted others to follow his example. Zammit met with Avramopoulos before flying back to Australia and suggested that Greece should do more to care for tourists. «You have thousands of people going to these islands and these tourists need to know that if they get into trouble, they can get the medical care,» he told reporters. «It’s not always about money; it’s about life.» Zammit’s son, Doujon, had to be flown to Athens after being attacked on the island but was later pronounced brain dead. His father decided to disconnect him from a life-support machine on Friday and donate his heart, liver and kidneys to other patients. Avramopoulos praised Zammit’s decision and said that since Friday two other families had donated the organs of their loved ones. Greece has one of the lowest donation rates in Europe. «As he leaves Greece, Mr Zammit is leaving behind four siblings of his son,» said Avramopoulos in reference to the people whose lives were saved by the transplants. Sources said yesterday that three nightclub employees implicated in the attack on the 20-year-old Australian on July 29 could face additional charges after Doujon Zammit’s cousin, who was injured in the incident, gave evidence yesterday. Efstathia Salma, the prosecutor on Syros that is handling the case, is also expected to hear today from the chief of police on Myconos. A 25-year-old nightclub bouncer is the chief suspect in the case but is the only person in custody at the moment.
