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Greece has officially opened its first ''smart hospital,'' marking a major milestone for the country’s public health system.
The new Onassis complex in Athens is a fully digital, four-story medical facility equipped with state-of-the-art operating rooms that allow surgeons to see inside the body in real time and perform complex procedures with minimal intervention.
Built at a cost of €82 million, the expansion houses both the Onassis Transplant Center and the Onassis Children’s Hospital, a project that began in 2019 and symbolizes the growing partnership between Greece’s public and private sectors in healthcare.
A hospital that “breathes humanity”
In recent months, doctors there have already performed pioneering kidney transplants on underweight children, surgeries that were previously only possible abroad. The hospital is now preparing to begin pediatric liver transplants as well.
“The hospital is not just walls; it’s people,” said Onassis Foundation President Anthony Papadimitriou, highlighting the hospital’s high staff-to-patient ratio. He also noted that art plays an active role in healing, from sculptures and installations to a “room of strength” designed for patients and families.
A vision years in the making
At the inauguration, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the new transplant unit would eventually expand to cover all organ transplants, including kidneys.
He praised the Onassis Foundation for its long-standing contribution to public health, noting that the Onassis Children’s Hospital is evolving into a center for research into congenital heart diseases.
Mitsotakis also pointed to his government’s broader plan for organ transplants, including a new legal framework for donations and a public awareness campaign that has already led to 50,000 new registered donors in just 20 days.
“After six years, I am satisfied,” Mitsotakis said, reflecting on his 2019 pledge to modernize Greece’s transplant system. “We are not at the end of the road, but we are carrying out a huge reform that requires time and patience.”
He closed his speech by paying tribute to Aristotle Onassis and the foundation that continues to turn his legacy into lasting social work through projects like this one.
*Source: AMNA
