On Monday November 17th, 2014, the renovated Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (B.M.T.U.) of the University General Hospital of Patras (P.G.N.P.) was inaugurated. The project to upgrade and equip the unit was carried out with the Foundation’s funding, within the framework of its targeted interventions for the upgrading of Public Health infrastructure in Greece.

The complete reshaping of the areas has doubled the Unit’s capacity. Specifically, the number of beds has been increased from 2 to 6, thus making it possible to carry out more than 50 allogeneic transplants per year – i.e. more than double the number of allogeneic transplants carried out until now. Moreover, a day care ward is created. The Unit, with a total surface area of 265 m², meets all specifications required for the long-term hospitalisation of vulnerable patients in a sterile environment, while particular importance was given to the creation of a more humane and modern environment for hospitalised patients.

Patients from all over the country, and in particular from Western Greece and the Ionian islands, as well as from Cyprus, who need to undergo a Bone Marrow transplant, come to the Unit, which is one of the three Adult BMTUs (in addition to the Evangelismos and G. Papanikolaou hospitals in Athens and Thessaloniki, respectively) that carry out transplants from the Global Donor Pool volunteer bone marrow donors and are centres of the National Transplant Organisation (NTO) where patients can receive bone marrow transplants from volunteer donors.

During the inauguration ceremony, Mr Haralambos Bonanos, Director of the University General Hospital of Patras, said:

“Today, we are inaugurating the BMTU, which was renovated by the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation. The fully renovated BMTU, which now has 6 beds for hospitalised patients instead of the 2 it had before, meets all specifications for the long-term hospitalisation of vulnerable patients in a sterile environment. On behalf of the Hospital’s Administration, I would like to publicly thank the Latsis Foundation, and I believe that this is the start of a cooperation to cover the needs of a Tertiary University Hospital, for which public spending is limited.”

Professor Alexandros Spyridonidis, Director of the Unit, stated that:

“In addition to increasing the unit’s capacity, particular importance was given to the creation of an aesthetically pleasing area, which will contribute to the better physical and psychological recovery of patients who need long-term hospitalisation. The funding granted by the Latsis Foundation was complemented by a two-year scholarship granted by the Hellenic Society of Haematology to a haematologist who will specialise in transplants. On behalf of all patients who have put their faith in bone marrow transplants, I would like to say a big thank you.”

Mr Dimitrios Afendoulis, Secretary of the Executive Board of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, noted that:

“Increasing the Unit’s capacity means that more patients will win the battle of life. Every person who wins the battle, will fill us with happiness and will show us the way for new actions of similar importance, which it is our duty to carry out.”

For information about the grant and photographs, please see here.