EKAV Responds to Folegandros Airmbulance Delay Complaint

EKAV (Hellenic National Centre for Immediate Assistance) has issued clarifications following a complaint from the municipality of Folegandros regarding a lengthy delay in an air ambulance service on July 31, 2025.

According to EKAV, the Air Ambulance Coordination Center received a call for a cardiology case. The process of finding a means of transport began immediately, prioritizing patient safety. A request for a helicopter was submitted to the Hellenic Air Force General Staff (GEA) at 01:23.

The helicopter, which was already performing another air ambulance from Milos, could not land on Folegandros due to adverse weather conditions. The landing was made possible on the morning of August 1, and the patient was transported to the "Thriassio" hospital in Elefsina.

The mayor of Folegandros, Kyriakos Marinakis, in his letter, expressed outrage at the delay, stating that the helicopter arrived 8 hours late, despite the existence of a functional heliport.

EKAV emphasizes that it operates daily throughout the country, in cooperation with the Hellenic Air Force, with the aim of protecting human life and adhering to safety rules.