Annousakeio Therapeutic Centre is the focal point of the Metropolis of Kisamos and Selinon extensive welfare program, and many actions in the fields of primary and preventive healthcare services emanate. One of the most significant initiatives of Annousakeio Therapeutic Centre is an innovative health program executed by a mobile Medical Unit in remote areas of the Metropolis. The fully equipped Mobile Medical Unit was donated by the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopaidi.
The provision of healthcare services is one of the main pillars of the Holy Metropolis of Kissamos and Selinon. The principal aim of this initiative is to provide all citizens with health coverage.
Taking into consideration that not all the population of our Metropolitan Region have the same access to health care services, mainly due to socioeconomic but also geographical factors (remote and inaccessible mountain regions) it was considered that a Mobile Medical Unit would be a practical and effective solution for implementing health care programs. In this way population groups who have difficulty with mobility are given access to primary but essential medical care.
On August 2, 2014 the inauguration of the Mobile Medical Unit of the Holy Metropolis of Kisamos and Selinon marked the beginning of a program that aims to provide health services to both the healthy people and those with a chronic medical condition or other psychosocial problems. Healthy people are provided with health promotion, disease prevention, and social and counseling care programs and the overriding objective is to help people improve their health.
The Unit is properly equipped to provide medical care and reliable diagnostic services. Its equipment includes Ultrasound machine, Cardiography machine, Diaphanoscope, Vascular Doppler, Otoscope, Ophthalmoscope, Laryngoscope, Patient Monitor, Spirometer.
- To provide free of charge primary medical care to socially vulnerable and disadvantaged populations of remote areas who live far from health care centers and are unable to seek medical help due to a variety of economic and social problems.
- To act as a means of primary disease prevention. To perform social and counseling care in order to improve the quality of life of the target groups who are benefiting from the operation. To combat social exclusion and marginalization.
- To gain an overview of actual social needs and record information about health and diseases indicators for statistical purposes. To contribute to the improvement of the Greek healthcare system.
- To achieve these objectives the medical team gathers detailed information about individual’s personal and family clinical history and conducts basic diagnostic tests and medical examinations. Patients who are diagnosed with serious medical conditions are referred to hospitals or other specialists.
For the smooth running of mobile clinics, a Co-operation Protocol between the General Hospital of Chania, “St. George”, and Annousakeiou Therapeutic Centre of the Holy Metropolis of Kissamos and Selino was signed by Amfilohios, Metropolitan of Kisamos and Selinon who is the President of the Metropolitan foundations, and the Governor of the General Hospital of Chania, Mr. Voulgaridis Minas. This Protocol is the culmination of the excellent cooperation between the two Organizations, which they aim to further upgrade, strengthen and support through a series of joint actions and provisions:
Co-operation between Annousakeio Therapeutic Centre and the General Hospital of Chania ‘Saint George’ has been agreed for the implementation of medical visits to specialist departments of the General Hospital of Chania in cooperation with Μ.ΥΠ.Ε.Δ.Υ Chania to health centers of Chania with the Mobile Medical Unit of the I.M.K.S.
Utilization of Medical Unit equipment within the above visits in cooperation with the scientific staff of Annousakeio Therapeutic Centre of Kissamos and the involvement of medical specialists of Chania Hospital to implement visits of the Mobile Medical Unit in mountainous and remote areas of Chania and at the school of Primary and Secondary Education Law, Chania, in addition to the visits to health centers of Chania.
The Mobile Medical Unit is accompanied in each mission by volunteer private and hospital doctors who are members of the Medical Association of Chania, social workers, psychologists, nurses and professionals from diverse disciplines.
Metropolitan of Kissamos and Selino Mr. Amfilohios, Chairman the Annousakeiou Foundation, said: “By these offices, Annousakeio Therapeutic Centre, through the Mobile Medical Unit, donated from the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopaidi, offers its services throughout the prefecture of Chania, and staffed by doctors of General Hospital of Chania to help alleviate deprivation of our fellowmen, at the prefectural level. We thank the Governor of General Hospital Mr.Minas Vouglaridi as social awareness contributed decisively to the signing of this protocol. On his part, the Governor of the Hospital of Chania Mr. Voulgaridis thanked AnnousakeioTherapeutic Centre “for the great and excellent welfare and social work carried out, particularly in primary care.”
The Mobile Medical Unit provides medical care services completely free of charge.
Υπογραφή Πρωτοκόλλου Συνεργασίας
Για την άρτια λειτουργία της Κινητής Ιατρικής Μονάδας τον Φεβρουάριο του 2017, Υπεγράφη Πρωτόκολλο Συνεργασίας μεταξύ του Γενικού Νοσοκομείου Χανίων «Ο Άγιος Γεώργιος» και του Αννουσάκειου Θεραπευτηρίου Κισάμου, Κέντρου Κλειστής Νοσηλείας Αποθεραπείας – Αποκατάστασης «Ο Άγιος Σπυρίδων», Ίδρυμα της Ιεράς Μητρόπολης Κισάμου & Σελίνου κατόπιν προγραμματισμένης συνάντησης στους χώρους του Αννουσάκειου Θεραπευτηρίου.
- Τη θεσμοθετημένη συνεργασία του Αννουσάκειου Θεραπευτηρίου και του Γενικού Νοσοκομείου Χανίων ‘Ο Άγιος Γεώργιος’ για την υλοποίηση ιατρικών επισκέψεων, ειδικευμένων Ιατρών του Γενικού Νοσοκομείου Χανίων σε συνεργασία με τη Μ.Υ Π.Ε.Δ.Υ Χανίων στα Κέντρα Υγείας του Νομού Χανίων με την Κινητή Ιατρική Μονάδα του Αννουσάκειου Θεραπευτηρίου της Ι.Μ.Κ.Σ. καθώς και την αξιοποίηση του Ιατρικού εξοπλισμού της Κινητής Ιατρικής Μονάδας στα πλαίσια των ανωτέρω επισκέψεων σε συνεργασία με επιστημονικό προσωπικό του Αννουσάκειου Θεραπευτηρίου Κισάμου.
- Τη συμμετοχή ειδικευμένων ιατρών του Γ.Ν. Χανίων στην υλοποίηση επισκέψεων της Κινητής Ιατρικής Μονάδας σε ορεινές δυσπρόσιτες περιοχές του Νομού Χανίων όπως και σε Σχολικές Μονάδες της Πρωτοβάθμιας και Δευτεροβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης Ν. Χανίων.
His eminence Amfilohios, Metropolitan of Kisamos and Selinon who is the President of the Metropolitan foundations wishes to express his sincere thanks and gratitude to all of the volunteer doctors as well as to the fellow citizens who contribute their time and talents to the operation of the Annousakeio Therapeutic Centre. He states: “The aim of the Annousakeio Therapeutic Centre is to exploit properly its Mobile Medical Unit in collaboration with the local government bodies, namely the Medical Association of Chania, the regional medical centers and the Directorate of primary and secondary education of Chania in order to provide vulnerable and disadvantaged population groups of the remote areas as well as the present school generation with primary medical care. The objective is to raise the living standards of local inhabitants in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, health promotion, awareness and social support.” His eminence also wishes to acknowledge and thank the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi and its Abbot, Elder Ephraim for their generous donation of a Mobile Medical Unit as this socially valuable work for the people of our Region would not be possible without their generous support.
His eminence is also grateful to the non – governmental organization “Apostoli” of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens and its Directing Manager Mr Konstantinos Dimtsas for their kind offer of school bags and stationery that will be distributed on future school visits of the Mobile Medical Unit. Within the context of these welfare programs and actions, suffering individuals are provided with loving and caring solutions to their complex problems. This dynamic activity is achieved due to your benevolent love and overwhelming generosity.
His Eminence Amfilohios concluded in his thank – you letter. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for putting your love into action for the benefit of others”.
| Mobile Medical Unit Missions, 2016 | |||
| Area | Date | Type of examination | Doctors specialties’ |
| Sfinari, Municipality of Kisamos | 11/3/2016 | Test PAP, Abdominal ultrasound | Midwife, Radiologist |
| Kalathenes, Municipality of Kisamos | 2/4/2016 | Physical examination performed by general practitioner, ultrasounds | General Practitioner,
Radiologist, Intern, of the Regional Doctor’s office of Kalathenes |
| Vlatos, Municipality of Kisamos | 28/7/2016 | Orthopedic examination, Bone density test | Orthopedist, physiotherapist |
| Nohia, Municipality of Platanias | 11/10/2016 | Orthopedic examination, Bone density test | Orthopedist, physiotherapist |
| Rodopou,
Municipality of Platanias |
2/10/2016 | Lung evaluation,
Spirometry |
Pulmonologist |
| Primary School of Gramvousa, Municipality of Kisamos | 18/10/2016 | Preventive medical checkup for pupils, Health education | Pediatrician, Dentist |
| Primary School of Elos,
Municipality of Kisamos |
8/11/2016 | Preventive medical checkup for pupils, Health education | Pediatrician, Dentist |
| Primary School of Sfakopigadi,
Municipality of Kisamos |
10/11/2016 | Preventive medical checkup for pupils, Health education | Pediatricians (2) |
| Primary School of Platanos,
Municipality of Kisamos |
30/11/2016 | Preventive medical checkup for pupils, Health education | Pediatricians (2),
Dentist |
| Palaia Roumata,
Municipality of Kantanos-Selinon |
13/5/2016 | Lung evaluation,
Spirometry |
Pulmonologist |
| Voutas,
Municipality of Kantanos-Selinon |
18/11/2016 | Orthopedic examination, Bone density test | Orthopaedist, physiotherapist |
| Palaiochora,
Municipality of Kantanos-Selinon |
3/12/2016 | Lung evaluation,
Spirometry |
Pulmonologist |