Here’s some good (and probably slightly old) news about a Greek bank: Alpha Bank has sponsored (donated?) three machines to the Symi surgery. A letter from the deputy mayor to Alpha Bank, published on Verna a while ago now (but I only just found it) says:
Προς τμήμα δημοσίων σχέσεων ALPHA BANK – Κοινωνική Εταιρεία Ευθύνης
Σας ευχαριστούμε θερμά για το έμπρακτο ενδιαφέρον σας να ανταποκριθείτε άμεσα και να συνδράμετε στον εξοπλισμό του ιατρείου Σύμης με τρία σύγχρονα μηχανήματα, ήτοι με έναν φορητό υπέρηχο, φορητό καρδιογράφο και έναν φορητό συμπύκνωτη οξυγόνου, που θα συμβάλουν στη βελτίωση της ποιότητας της ζωής των κατοίκων του νησιού μας.
Which roughly comes out as:
“To the public relations department ALPHA BANK – Company Social Responsibility.
We thank you for your active interest and prompt response, and for providing assistance with equipment for the Simi clinic with three modern machines, i.e. with a portable ultrasound, portable cardiograph and a portable oxygen concentrator, which will help improve the quality of life of its residents our island.”
So, good news there. And there was also an article on another news website stating the Europol had ‘smashed’ a people trafficking ring from Turkey to Greece, stating that “the gang had smuggled 350 people, mostly Syrians, by boat to the Greek islands of Kos and Rhodes, charging as much as 9,000 euros ($9,500) per person.”
To which I would add Symi, and probably many other islands too. We’ve experienced the situation first hand here a great deal on Symi and we chatted to some refugees in Kos last year. I dare say that this will not be an end to the problem.
There’s that’s a couple of serious articles for you to check out today. I’m keeping things brief because my vertigo is playing up wildly today (this is Thursday as I write) and my fingers are not hitting the correct keys (in a worse fashion than usual), mainly because the keyboard is swimming about and not staying still. It’s a pain to have to go back and correct the bad typing while feeing like you’re on the Symi 1 in a storm, so I’m heading off to sit and be stable somewhere else. Have a good day!
