ATHENS — Now more than ever, the CΟVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of a strong and well-prepared National Health System for all.

As part of the SNF Global Relief Initiative for the COVID-19 Pandemic totaling $100 million, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has allocated a major portion of its grants to Greece to support the health sector. This support is spearheaded by a grant currently under implementation for 174 new ICU and High-Dependency (HDU) beds in 15 hospitals across Greece (as mentioned in the SNF press release issues on 11/20/2020), totaling €16.4 million.

33 of the aforementioned beds will be added to Evangelismos Hospital. In the midst of the first wave of the pandemic in Greece in May 2020, a grant of €7.7 million to support Evangelismos was fulfilled as part of the SNF’s Health Initiative. As described in more detail later in this update, this grant additionally secured the procurement of more than 850 beds (for the replacement of all hospital beds), of which 53 are intended for ICUs, HDUs and Stroke Units, as well as 150 pieces of medical equipment.

Separate from the grant to Evangelismos Hospital, the Health Initiative includes a series of infrastructure, equipment procurement, and educational programs. The Initiative’s ultimate objective is to strengthen and upgrade the public Health Sector in Greece by empowering the country’s medical staff and ensuring a high-level of medical care and treatment services are available for all citizens.

The Initiative, with a budget exceeding $400 million, is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Its implementation has continued uninterrupted and at an intensive pace since 2018. The individual projects will each be delivered to the Greek State upon completion of their respective works and procedures.

In the spirit of transparency, SNF is committed to providing regular updates with timely information on a range of projects included in the Initiative. At SNF, we are guided by the principle that the process we follow is equally important as the finalized project.

Read more here.