It was with great pleasure, that during the summer we met our volunteer Anna and her classmate Chrysi, when they joined our team at our office to share their wish: they wanted to help the refugees that have been crossing through our country for a bit over a year now, looking for shelter and a safe place for their children.

After discussing the needs we have identified and are trying to cover across Greece – from the entry points (islands), to the camps but also the exit points, right until they were evacuated – the Kilkis General Hospital drew our attention. It was a special case, because it always had many needs, a constant lack of equipment and supplies, and the staff were required to attend to their patients in very difficult conditions. It was over a year ago that we had recorded the need for a bilirubinometer, a device necessary for the in time diagnosis of jaundice in newborns. During the past months the Kilkis General Hospital was in a state of emergency as it had been attending to a disproportionately large number of patients, regarding its abilities, with insufficient means and under a lot of pressure. It is the only hospital in Kilkis which is that close to the northern borders of Greece, and a large number of refugees were heading there all year long.

It was rather common for pregnant women and those ready to give birth to be sent to other hospitals, located 2 or 3 hours away, so that they could safely deliver and have adequate medical care. The lack of a bilirubinometer meant that often the samples had to be sent to distant hospitals for evaluation and the results often came many days later. The in time diagnosis of jaundice in newborns is of great importance and time can be an extremely significant factor on the life and health of a newborn.

Thus, our volunteers decided to follow that direction and started a fundraising campaign, to provide the Kilkis General Hospital with a bilirubinometer. They decided to make sure that the ones born in Kilkis would share equal chances of diagnosis and cure. And they succeeded! Thanks to their drive and determination, the required amount was gathered and during the summer Desmos was able to equip the obstetrics clinic of the hospital with this diagnostic machine, the staff was trained in its use and the first tests are already being carried out!

Among others, the hospital administration reports: “We would like to inform the commendable volunteer of Desmos, that after a long time our hospital can now perform bilirubin tests on newborns. This way, our doctors have immediate results making their work faster and safer and the children receive better quality healthcare. Especially during these past months, that our hospital is overwhelmed by refugees and the births in our obstetrics clinic have multiplied.”

In turn, we would like to thank Anna and Chrysi for helping through Desmos, for their choice of this specific and urgent need and most of all, for their determination that transformed an idea to reality, thanks to which the newborns that come to life in the General Hospital of Kilkis can now receive the medical care that they need!