Western Mani protests over 30-year-old ambulance deployment

Residents and local officials in Western Mani are protesting after the 6th Health Region deployed a 30-year-old ambulance to the Agios Nikolaos Health Center. The vehicle, transferred from Pylos, has nearly 1,000,000 kilometers on its odometer and shows significant signs of wear.

The decision was made as a temporary measure after the previous ambulance serving the area was disabled in a traffic accident. Local leaders, including Dimitris Favvatas, president of ADEDY Messinia, have criticized the move as “unprecedented mockery” and a threat to public safety, noting that the region is a major tourist destination located over an hour away from hospitals in Kalamata.

Critics are calling on the Ministry of Health to provide a modern, fully equipped vehicle and to ensure adequate staffing for the health unit. The current situation has left the area without reliable emergency transport, as the replacement vehicle reportedly failed within three days of use.