Major initiative to strengthen Public Healthcare by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
€10 million donation to support the retention of 80 doctors on 47 small islands of Greece
The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is launching a major initiative to support public healthcare on Greece’s small islands, committing €10 million over a seven-year period to help retain 80 doctors on 47 small islands of the country served by the smallest primary healthcare units. These 47 islands are served by Regional Clinics and Multi-purpose Regional Clinics, the smallest healthcare facilities within the Greek National Health System, and the programme does not apply to islands that host health centres or larger healthcare structures.
The donation agreement was signed during a special ceremony at the Office of the Greek Prime Minister, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, by the President of the Foundation Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis.
The initiative was inspired by the strong and long-standing connection of the Foundation’s founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, with the islands of Greece, as well as by the challenges faced by small island communities in accessing essential healthcare services.
The purpose of the donation is to create a meaningful and stable incentive, with a seven-year commitment, to attract and retain medical professionals in healthcare facilities on Greece’s small islands, ensuring uninterrupted access to healthcare services for their residents throughout the year.
As the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted: “For the first time, a private donor has turned his attention not to infrastructure, but to human resources. He is helping us address a critical issue, namely the staffing of Regional Medical Clinics and Multi-Purpose Regional Medical Clinics on 47 very small islands, where we have faced objective difficulties in attracting doctors throughout the year, despite the fact that the Greek State has provided significant additional incentives for doctors to serve on these islands.”
The Founder and President of the Foundation, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, stated: “Greece’s small islands have long faced difficulties in staffing their smaller healthcare facilities. The high cost of living, particularly on tourist islands, and the challenging living conditions on remote islands often discourage doctors from choosing to serve there.
Through this donation we want to create a real incentive for doctors to choose to work on the country’s small islands. The supplementary net allowance of €1,500 per month can make a meaningful difference for a doctor considering moving to a remote area and supporting a small island community.
This initiative establishes a stable framework of incentives for seven years, with a clear objective: to ensure that residents of the small islands have continuous access to healthcare services.”
Under the programme, 80 doctors and rural service doctors who are physically present at the healthcare facilities of these islands will receive €1,500 per month in net additional income, paid for 12 months each year. The amount will be paid by the Greek State following the donation from the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. This is in addition to their existing salaries from the National Health System, effectively bringing their net monthly income close to €3,000. The donation aims to help offset the significantly higher cost of living and accommodation on small islands and to create a real incentive for doctors to serve in these remote locations.
The Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, opening the ceremony, stated:
“From an idea that we discussed just six months ago, we have now reached – thanks to the willingness and initiative of Stelios Haji-Ioannou himself and, of course, the response of the Ministry of Health – the signing of this donation, which is not symbolic but substantive, as it supports the National Health System on 47 small Greek islands.”
The Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis noted: “With today’s donation we are addressing a significant challenge we face. On these 47 islands, we usually either cannot find doctors at all, or we are forced to transfer doctors from neighboring islands or from other Health Centers, with all the difficulties and time constraints this entails, or we are compelled to request the assistance of the Hellenic Armed Forces and use conscript soldiers.”
This initiative forms part of the Foundation’s long-standing strategy to contribute, where there is a clear social need, with solutions built for long term impact and continuity. In a framework where the State must apply uniform policies across the entire country and private companies cannot intervene directly in the public healthcare system, the immediate action and discretion of a private donor can, for the first time, provide a targeted and practical response to this specific challenge, complementing the efforts of the State.
The implementation of the programme – including the announcement of positions, the selection of doctors for each island and the payment of the funds to beneficiaries – will be carried out by the Ministry of Health and the competent Regional Health Authorities, in accordance with the terms of the donation agreement. An online application process will be announced shortly.