An elderly woman is lying naked on a blanket on the hard floor of the parking lot of an apartment building. An ambulance rescuer has grabbed the water hose and is dousing her with cold water. The shocking picture has triggered an outrage and launched the prosecutor’s intervention.
The 70-year-old woman had reportedly psychical issues and furthermore she had suffered a heart attack.
This despicable abuse of a patient needing transfer to a hospital took place in the village of Oropos, in eastern Attica on Saturday. the picture went viral on social media on Sunday
The ambulance and the crew belong to a private ambulance company contracted to the Municipality of Oropos due to privatizations enforced by the conservative government and the Health Ministry.
Prompt was the reaction of Health Minister Thanos Plevris who condemned the incident late on Sunday and claimed that neither the ambulance nor the crew belonged to the public health system EKAB and ESY.
Το άθλιο περιστατικό στον Ωρωπό δεν έχει σχέση με εργαζόμενους στο @YpYgGR, όπως λανθασμένα διακινούν κάποιοι.Οι συγκεκριμένοι δεν εργάζονται ούτε στο ΕΚΑΒ ούτε συνολικά στο Υγείας.Οι διασώστες μας σώζουν καθημερινά συνανθρώπους μας και δεν έχουν σχέση με απάνθρωπες συμπεριφορές
— Θάνος Πλεύρης (@thanosplevris) March 5, 2023
Monday morning, state broadcaster ERT reported that one of the crew members is also employee at a public hospital and has been suspended as a prosecutor is investigating the issue.
A prosecutor’s investigation is being launched Monday morning and the head of the First Instance Prosecutor’s Office, Antonis Eleftherianos, reportedly ordered a criminal preliminary investigation for misdemeanor offenses involving torture and insulting human dignity.
In a post on Sunday, the mayor of Oropos, said that he ordered an investigation into the case and asked the ambulance company to remove the two workers who appear in the photos.
speaking to Open TV, the mayor said, the “crew” claimed that it was the patient who asked them to “clean her.” they claimed further that they did not have access to the bathroom in the patient’s apartment.
The contract explicitly foresees that the crew has relevant diploma and work experience.
The contract cost 200,000 euros per year, the mayor added.
Things just get worse and worse here in Greece,we never seize to be shocked at human behavior.Kindness, responsibility, empathy, care and diligence have very sadly all gone away to another place,never to return.
shhhh michele. Tourists arrive soon….