The first Oncological Hospital
for children in Greece
The Minister of Health Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos, Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Karolos Papoulias and the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos.
The vision of the Association of Friends of Children with cancer "ELPIDA", to build an oncology hospital that will give hope and smile to children who suffer from cancer as well as to their parents, finally becomes a reality. The “Foundation for the Child and Family” is both a supporter as well as an ally in this effort.
Το Νοσοκομείο τον Οκτώβριο του 2009.
The construction of the Oncology Hospital for children in Athens, the first in Greece, which is expected to be ready by 2010, will balance out the current insufficient care of the continuously increasing number of children that suffer from cancer, not only in Greece, but also in the Balkans.
In a touching ceremony which took place in April 2007, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Karolos Papoulias, placed the foundation stone of the Hospital, while the late Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece, consecrated the land where the building is to be erected.
Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, as President of “ELPIDA” Association, addressed to the guests saying: " Love is the foundation of this Hospital. Each one of its stones is a piece of heart. Each one of its places is a source of hope and life, in a great alliance between science and humanism. The great vision of our Association, the work for which we fought the last years, becomes real today! We are indeed deeply moved by the success of this collective fight; a fight that originated from “ELPIDA” and became a fight of the entire Greek population. In this historic moment for our association, our deepest feelings are expressed, particularly the hope for hundreds of children who suffer from cancer and can now have a model hospital especially for them in their own country".
Ministers, former Ministers, personalities from letters and arts, businessmen, artists, great benefactors and donors, members and friends of the Association, representatives of media were present in this historical moment for the “ELPIDA” Association.
As the current available space for the needs of the continuously increasing number of children suffering from cancer is limited, the under construction Oncological Paediatrics Hospital is expected to considerably contribute to balancing out the extreme number of patients of the Paediatrics Hospital "Agia Sophia".
The current Oncological departments of the two Paediatric Hospitals -"Agia Sophia" and "Aglaia Kyriakou"- will be transferred to the new Hospital. The objective is that the new Hospital will be a distinguished Centre for the effective treatment of children's cancer providing high standards of nursing services for children with neoplasmatic diseases and haematological malignancies.
Moreover, the new Hospital will shorten the waiting time for the admission of ill children to the Bone Marrow Transplant Units, since today this waiting time is often long due to the limited number of beds.
The opportunity for further development of research programmes as well as the application of cell and gene treatment for the confrontation of genetic and neoplasmatic diseases will also be given.
The signing of the Memorandum between ELPIDA Association and the Ministry of Health.
The construction of the Hospital is based on the most modern scientific studies in order to account for the needs for integrated diagnosis, hospitalisation and treatment of children in an appropriate environment which would, moreover, be friendly for them.
The Hospital will be consisted of five main buildings along with auxiliary buildings, a joining corridor, central entry, etc. Its total area will be 14.880 sq.m.
The following Departments to operate in the new Hospital are:
- A nursing Unit of Bone Marrow Transplant of capacity of 18 beds
- Three Haematology–Oncology Nursing Units of capacity of 29 beds each
- Three One Day Clinic (ODC) Units for the Haematology–Oncology Departments of capacity of 8 beds each
- A One Day Clinic Unit for the Department of Bone Marrow Transplant of capacity of 4 beds
- A Nursing Unit of Radioactive treatment of capacity of 1 bed
- In vitro Laboratories
- Pain Clinic
- Outpatient Clinics
- Blood donation Centre
- Positron Emission Technology (P.E.T.) Diagnostic Department
- Nuclear Medicine Department (with γ camera)
- Meeting Room: capacity about 50 roughly individuals
- A School for educating the hospitalised children
- A guest house for the parents.
The surrounding area of the buildings will be further planted, preserving the existing plants.
The first olive tree in the yard of the Hospital planted by Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis and Sakis Rouvas.
In this grass area, two playgrounds are to be constructed for the recreation of the young patients.
The access to all the buildings will be ensured via pedestrian paths. Driveways leading to a new parking area will also be constructed in the new building site as well as access driveways to the Central Entrance of the Oncology Unit as well as for the safe delivery of supplies to the Department of Radioisotope Preparation. A peripheral road that will surround the buildings will finally be constructed for safety reasons (maintenance, fire safety etc.) and smooth traffic within the plot.
- 2011
- UNESCO Heads of States Forum
- There is HOPE!
- Cultural Heritage - Climate Change - The teacher's role - Presentation of the book "The country of two suns"
- International Women's Day - The Educational Institute AKMI IVT honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
- The "Pancretan Association of Athens" honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Woman of the year 2011".
- Excellence Awards, Greeks who are Role Models for the New Generation.
- Presentation of the Greek publication of Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis' book "Labouring with the Challenges of Female Identity: Insights into Minoan Society".
- 2010
- Presentation of the book "Labouring with the challenges of female identity: Insights into the Minoan society" at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
- The Global Forum against human trafficking.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis - ELPIDA Children's Oncology Unit.
- Makistos smiles again!
- 83000 signatures for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- 10th Annual Meeting of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors
- An event for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- International campaign supporting Greece.
- The international "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- First meeting of the Friends of the Aswan Heart Centre.
- 2009
- Global Campaign for the Climate Justice.
- Inauguration of the new Acropolis Museum.
- Declaration of the International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
- International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
- International Conference «Crossing Borders to Protect the Children of the World» and the Cairo Declaration.
- International Conference in Bahrain "Human Trafficking at the Crossroads of East- West" and the Manama Declaration.
- Summer Deaflympics - Athens 2013.
- 2008
- The Vienna Forum against human trafficking.
- Mothers - Olympic Champions of Love.
- Universal call for the Climate Change.
- The 4th Global Youth Employment Summit on the fight against poverty and unemployment, in Azerbaijan and the Baku Declaration.
- The appeal of Ancient Olympia.
- The “Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies” in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Great Lady of the Patriarchal Throne of Alexandria".
- 2007
- 2nd Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
- The Chart of Paris against cancer.
- The first Oncological Hospital for children in Greece.
- Lecture of the H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak in Athens, Greece.
- Fairuz Concert in Athens, Greece.
- International Youth Forum for Peace in Sharm El Sheikh.
- Global Humanitarian Forum.
- Makistos smiles again.
- 2006
- Round Table " The Business Community against Human Trafficking".
- Fundraising Dinner to support the “End Human Trafficking Now” global campaign.
- The "Athens Principles" in Davos.
- International Center for Peace Studies.
- Protecting youth from drugs.
- The Multicultural Children Centre “Athina” in Belgrade.
- 1st Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
- 2005
- Helping the children of Palestine- Fundraising dinner in Cairo.
- The UN Millennium Development Goals and Civil Society.
- The Declaration of 22 Greek organisations on the UN Millennium Development Goals.
- 2004
- Exhibition of Traditional and Contemporary Handicrafts from Jordan.
- International Conference “Women in the Service of Peace” in Paris.
- International Conference “Women defending Peace” in Geneva.
- 2003
- 2nd European Conference of Legal Practitioners on juvenile matters.
- Exhibition "Breaking the Veils", Exhibition of women artists from the Islamic World, at UNESCO.
- Exhibition “The Unity of an Unique Monument: the Parthenon”, at UNESCO.
- The Mentor Awards.
- Awards to mothers.
- 2002
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina. A wonder of the modern world.
- Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
- Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders who change our world.
- Contemporary Societies - Multicultural Co-existence- The position of the child.
- The protection of the World Cultural nad Natural Heritage.
- 2001
- The child: victim of war and messenger of peace.
- 2000
- A Model Area for creative activities in the Municipality of Ano Liosia.
- Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
- Children: Symbol of hope, will, courage.
- The Meeting of Athens and Delphi on Children and Peace.
- The Declaration of Delphi on Children and Peace.
- 1st International Conference for the Culture of Peace.
- Early Childhood Resource and Training Center in Bethlehem.
- 1999
- By the side of mothers and children behind bars.
- Juvenile disappearance and abduction.
- The Hague Appeal for Peace.
- International Conference “Family and Children in the European society of the 21st Century” in Paris.
- Support for the children - victims of war in the Balkans.
- By the side of the earthquake victims.
- International Conference “Sexual abuse of children and paedophilia in the Internet”.
- 1998
- A three-point shot for a life.
- European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions".
- Family and the mass media.
- Presentation of the Minutes of the European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions"
- 1997
- International Conference “Priority to the Dignity and Safety of the children in Europe”.
- By the side of the children of Xanthi.
- Embracing children suffering from AIDS.
- The International Convention on Children's Rights and the role of the European Union.