Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has toured a newly completed wing at the Mamatsio General Hospital in Kozani, pledging to return to inaugurate the facility in the coming months.
The hospital took delivery of the four-storey, €16.1 million extension a few days before the visit. Mitsotakis laid the foundation stone for the building in February 2023.
Speaking during the tour, the prime minister said rebuilding the National Health System was a central priority, and that the impact of the policy was becoming visible in Kozani.
He also announced a new oncology patient support unit will be established at the Bodosakio Hospital in Ptolemaida. Mitsotakis said this was extremely important for Western Macedonia, as patients previously had to travel to Athens or Thessaloniki for cancer care.
European funding
Mitsotakis said European funds were used for the new wing, while resources from the Just Transition Fund, a programme designed for Western Macedonia, will pay for the upcoming upgrade of the hospital's old building. Money from the Recovery Fund had already paid for the renovated emergency department.
Alternate Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Papathanasis said the new wing resulted from the proper use of European and national funds, adding that they would continue to act as drivers of development for the region.
Dimitris Tsalikakis, commander of the 3rd Health Region of Macedonia, welcomed the prime minister alongside his deputy, Giorgos Tarasidis, and hospital commander Eftychia Kapatou.
Stroke unit and new wards
The new wing has a total area of 6,141 square metres. The first and second floors house the surgical and pathological clinics, increasing their combined capacity from 97 beds to 101.
The pathological sector features two negative pressure units and a new increased care unit for stroke patients. The hospital is part of a newly established national network for stroke care, providing 24-hour support and monitoring.
The ground floor of the extension includes a dental clinic, doctors' offices, reading rooms and a multi-purpose hall, while the basement houses overnight rooms for doctors and the kitchens. A pilotis allows vehicle and pedestrian access to the emergency department.
Future plans for the site include a €23 million structural reinforcement and upgrade of the old wing and outpatient clinics, also funded by the Just Transition Mechanism.
Administrators also intend to open a hemodynamic laboratory at the hospital to treat acute myocardial infarctions and diagnose coronary artery disease, reducing the need to transfer cardiac patients to other facilities.
