Greece Honours Emergency Medical Workers Who Died in Service

In a ceremony marked by deep emotion, Greece’s National Centre for Emergency Care (EKAB) commemorated the “Day of Sacrifice of the Rescuer” on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at its headquarters in Athens. The event paid tribute to paramedics, nurses, and doctors who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The commemoration was attended by the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, alongside top government officials including Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, Deputy Ministers Marios Themistokleous and Dimitrios Vartzopoulos, and General Secretary of Health Services Lilian Vildiridi. Also present were representatives from the Ministries of Civil Protection, Labor, and Social Security, the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, as well as military, police, and civil society representatives.

EKAB’s Deputy Spokesperson Apostolos Damkalis expressed the organization’s gratitude and solemn respect, stating: “Not all heroes are immortal, but they are unforgettable. Today, we honor all those—paramedics, nurses, and doctors—who never returned home, placing the lives of others above their own.”

The day of remembrance traces its origins to the tragic helicopter crash of January 14, 2001, off Cape Sounio, which claimed the lives of Air Ambulance Physician Sofia Befon, Nurse Giorgos Leventzonis, pilot Antonio Vaccari, co-pilot Panagiotis Katavelis, and patient Agapitos Varkados. Since then, EKAB has annually honored all personnel who have died while serving in emergency medical missions.

During the ceremony, special attention was given to EKAB’s air ambulance operations. Chief Air Medical Officer Annela Mariola highlighted both the memory of lost colleagues and ongoing advancements in rescue technologies.

In a particularly emotional moment, President Kaklamanis presented an honorary award to the family of motorcycle paramedic Dimitris Mitropoulos, who died in a traffic accident while on duty in Athens last October. EKAB President Georgios Charalambous also announced that the central motorcycle rescue unit headquarters will be named in Mitropoulos’ honor.

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of plaques to retired doctors and rescuers in recognition of their long-standing service. EKAB officials, regional health administration leaders, military and police representatives, church officials, and civil society figures attended, alongside relatives of the fallen and numerous EKAB staff.