Athens, October 2024
Brief History
The Charity ”Pediatric Trauma Care” is a non-profit, non-governmental organization which was founded in 1998 in Athens by a small number of doctors and parents. Its sole purpose is to raise awareness on children’s accidents in Greece, reduce their number and severity and to improve care once an accident has occurred.
According to the statistics of the Hospitals and Health Centers equipped by “Pedtrauma”, from 2010 up to the present date more than 2.470.000 children have benefitted from our Charity.
In 2023, 463.000 children passed through the Trauma Centers and the Paediatric Departments equipped by “Pedtrauma”.
Trauma Centers
“Pedtrauma”‘s main objective is to open Trauma Centers in all the major Public Children’s Hospitals in Athens and throughout Greece. We have already managed in the last few years to build and equip 45 Trauma Centers in the following Hospitals:
– “Paidon Pentelis”, thanks to the sponsorship of John V. Vardinogiannis (year: 2011).
– “Pan. & Aglaia Kyriakou”, thanks to the “Stavros Niarchos” Foundation (year: 2012).
– “Ippocration” Thessaloniki’s General Hospital, thanks to OTE-COSMOTE (year: 2014).
– The University Hospital “PAGNI” in Irakleion, Crete, thanks to the Companies “Norton Rose Fulbright Greece”, “Hellenic Petroleum” and an Anonymous donor (year: 2014).
– The “University Hospital Evrou” in Alexandroupolis, thanks to the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation (year: 2014).
– The “Andreas Papandreou” General Hospital in Rhodes, thanks to the Companies “Hellenic Petroleum”, “Norton Rose Fulbright Greece” and “John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation” (year: 2015).
– The “Axillopouleio” General Hospital in Volos, thanks to the Company “Norton Rose Fulbright Greece” (year: 2016).
– The General Hospital of Lamia thanks to the George Youroukos family (year: 2016).
– The “Karamandaneio” General Hospital in Patras, thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2016).
– The University General Hospital of Larissa, thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2016).
– The “Vostanio” General Hospital in Mytilini (year: 2016).
– The Corfu General Hospital, thanks to the hotel MarBella Corfu (year: 2016).
– The General Hospital of Karpenisi, thanks to “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2017).
– The General Hospital of Chalkidiki, thanks to Sani Resort & Ikos Resorts (year: 2017).
– The “Andreas Papandreou” General Hospital of Pyrgos, thanks to the Company “Norton Rose Fulbright Greece” (year: 2017).
– The General Hospital of Livadeia, thanks to MYTILINEOS S.A. (year: 2018).
– The General Hospital of Larissa, thanks to the “Friends of Pediatric Trauma Care”, MYTILINEOS S.A., PAPAPOSTOLOU N. S.A., DRAEGER HELLAS, SIGMA MEDICAL, KOTSOVOLOS and the “Théâtre Grec de Genève”. (year: 2018).
– The University General Hospital “ATTIKON”, thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year : 2018).
– The General Hospital of Karditsa, thanks to VISA (year: 2018).
– The General Hospital of Trikala, thanks to VISA (year: 2018).
– The General Hospital of Chania “St. George”, thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2018).
– The General Hospital of Rethymno, thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2018).
– The University General Hospital of Ioannina, thanks to MYTILINEOS S.A.(year: 2018).
– The General Hospital – Health Center of Filiates, thanks to the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and the Greek Shipowners’ Social Welfare Company SYN-ENOSIS within the framework of the programme “Collaborating for Health”(year: 2018).
– The General Hospital of Veria, thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2019).
– The General Hospital of Ptolemaida “Mpodosakeio” thanks to the George Youroukos family (year: 2019).
– The General Hospital of Pella – Hospital Unit of Edessa thanks to the George Youroukos family (year: 2019).
– The General Hospital – Health Center of Karystos, thanks to an Anonymous Donor (year: 2019).
– The General Hospital – Health Center of Kythira thanks to “THE HELLENIC INITIATIVE AUSTRALIA” (year: 2019).
– The Health Center of Prinos (Thassos), thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2019).
– The General Hospital of Grevena, thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2019).
– The General Hospital of Florina “Eleni Th. Dimitriou”, thanks to MYTILINEOS S.A. (year: 2020).
– The General Hospital of Aghios Nikolaos, thanks to MYTILINEOS S.A. (year: 2020).
– The General Hospital of Cephalonia “Aghios Gerasimos”, thanks to the A. G. Leventis Foundation (year: 2020).
– The General Hospital of Argolida – Hospital Unit of Argos, thanks to “THE HELLENIC INITIATIVE AUSTRALIA” (year: 2020).
– The General Hospital of Amfissa, thanks to MYTILINEOS S.A. (year: 2020).
– The General Hospital of Tripolis “Evaggelistria”, thanks to the “OTE Group of Companies” (year: 2020).
– The General Hospital of Kozani “Mamatsio”, thanks to Hellenic Petroleum S.A. (year: 2020).
– The General Hospital of Piraeus “Tzaneio”, thanks to MYTILINEOS S.A. (year: 2021).
– The General Hospital – Health Center of Kymi, thanks to MYTILINEOS S.A. (year: 2021).
– The General Hospital of Agrinio, thanks to MYTILINEOS S.A. (year: 2021).
– The General Hospital of Corinth, thanks to the OTE Group of Companies (year: 2022).
– The Health Center of Milos, thanks to THE HELLENIC INITIATIVE AUSTRALIA (year: 2022).
– The Health Center of Tinos, thanks to the Dionyssios D. Vrecossis family (year: 2022).
– The General Hospital of Thebes, thanks to the George Youroukos family (year: 2022).
Equipment for Paediatric Hospitals
We have also upgraded:
• 44 Paediatric Departments
• 52 Paediatric Clinics
• 4 Intensive Care Units / HDU
Thus far, we have offered 1.770 machines and equipment to the Hospitals’ Paediatric Departments.
Education
A few years ago we began a program to educate children on trauma prevention. We visit schools and talk to children, teachers and parents about how to prevent accidents from happening. To date we have spoken to 62.065 children and 3.508 teachers and parents.
We have also published brochures on: “Safety at School”, “Safety at Home”, “Prevention of Burns”, “Road Safety” “Respect the Animals”, “Sports and Safety” and many more which we distribute to the children and parents we meet. We also send these informative booklets to schools in areas of Greece that we cannot visit, and of course they can be found in all the big Paediatric Hospitals.
Another part of this program is the publication of articles in all the major newspapers and magazines, around holiday times, on children’s safety and tips on what to be careful of and how to prevent accidents from occurring.
Seminars for Doctors, Nurses and Ambulance Paramedics – Medical Seminars Program “Leonidas Georgopoulos”
We help finance Advanced Paediatric Life Support seminars held for doctors, nurses, and Ambulance Paramedics. We have already managed to train 2.254 doctors, nurses, and Ambulance Paramedics on how to help injured children the fastest and best way possible.
The total cost of our project from 2010 up to the present date comes to € 3.512.596.
Trauma Registry
In 2007-2008 with the support of the Greek Ministry of Health (and a partial funding, by the Ministry, of the pilot study) we undertook a feasibility study of a Paediatric Trauma Registry in Greece. This was the first and only time such a study was undertaken, and to date remains the only available information on Paediatric Trauma in this country.
Information about our Board of Directors and Scientific Team:
Board of Directors:
President: Natasha Clive-Vrecossis
Vice President: Michalis Sarris, MD (Paediatrician-neonatologist)
General Secretary: Maria Sofianopoulou
Treasurer: Olympia Pliatsikouri
Member: George-Ippokratis Klimis
Alternate Member: Constantinos Velaoras
Scientific Team:
– Emeritus Professor George Chroussos, MD, MACP, MACE, FRCP, Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics and Endocrinology, Director, University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, Head, UNESCO Office of Adolescent Health and Medicine
– Emeritus Professor George Briassoulis, MD, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Medical School, University of Crete Postgraduate program “Emergencies and Intensive Care in Children Adolescents and Young Adults”
– Associate Professor Athanasios Kaditis, Associate Professor of Paediatrics and Paediatric Pulmonology, 1st Department of Paediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital
– Associate Professor Panagiotis Agouridakis, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Crete, Director of the Scientific Team, National Center of Emergency Care, “EKAΒ”
– Mr Constantinos Velaoras, MD, Paediatric Surgeon, ESY Consultant, “Paidon Pentelis” Children’s Hospital
– Mr George Spyridis, Paediatric Surgeon, Director of the 2nd Paediatric Surgery Department & Surgical Oncology Children’s Hospital “MITERA”
– Mrs Aristoula Patsoura, MD, PhD, PICU Director in “Pan. & Aglaia Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital
– Mr Dimitrios Pyrros, MD, Director of Medical Services, National Center of Emergency Care, “EKAΒ”
– Mr George Triantos, MD, PhD, Surgeon Director, Coordinator Director of Emergency Department, General Hospital of Rhodes
– Mrs Maria Pavlidou, Director of the Paediatric Department at Karpenisi General Hospital
– Mrs Despoina Iordanidou, Paediatric Anesthetist Consultant, G.H. Thessaloniki “Hippokrateio”, Senior Instructor – Course Director of Advanced Paediatric Life Support Course (APLS) of Northern Greece.
