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British woman’s death blamed on Greek health cuts

A BRITISH tourist has died on a Greek island after cuts to its health service meant there were no ambulances through the night, officials have said.

The 74-year-old tourist died of heart failure, while holidaying in the village of Emborios in Kalymnos, in the southern Aegean, more than two hours after paramedics failed to respond to an emergency call.

The woman reportedly felt unwell while sailing on a yacht with friends during the night. Her relatives called for an ambulance but were told to find their own way to the hospital.

Eventually a local shopkeeper offered the woman a lift in the back of his pickup truck, but she died a short time after arriving at the hospital.

The Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (Poedin) said: “If there was an ambulance with specialised rescuers, the unfortunate 74-year-old might have been saved. What more has to happen for authorities to finally realise the severity of the problem?”

Police said the body had been transferred to Rhodes for a post-mortem.