Travel Tips

25 Iraqi children with serious health problems to Athens and Thessaloniki hospitals.

The Greek Delegation of MDM, with the kind financing and support of the Office for International Development and Cooperation of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the International Emigration Organization, organises for the second time in a few months a "Chain Of Hope" and transfers 25 Iraqi children facing serious health problems to Athens and Thessaloniki hospitals.

Due to difficulties faced during the treatment of the patients in Iraq, the Greek MDM in cooperation with the competent authorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Emigration Organization, took the initiative to transfer to our country children facing serious pathological problems as well as injuries, because of the war and the deteriorating situation in Iraq.
The selection of the patients who needed immediate medical treatment, was made by MDM in cooperation with the International Emigration Organization.

The children arrived at "Eleftherios Venizelos" airport of Athens with a Royal Jordanian flight, on Sunday 30/11/2003 at 14.40 pm and were afterwards taken to Greek hospital institutions for treatment. Three of them arrived at Thessaloniki and are hosted in the local hospitals. Unfortunately, a fourth child expected here with cardiological problems died in Baghdad a few days ago.

An MDM medical team with five members escorted the children to Greece. The transfer of the children to our country was coordinated by the MDM in cooperation with the International Emigration Organization, which has the responsibility for the exit of the children from Iraq, while the support of the Greek Embassy in Iraq has also been very useful.

The little patients will remain in our country for as long as it takes, hosted by MDM, in order to receive the necessary medical treatment.

We should point out that, nine out of the eleven children who came to our country during summertime, in the framework of the first phase of the "Chain Of Hope" program, have already returned to their country, after the improvement of their health problems to a great extent.