€10 million donation to support the retention of 80 doctors on 47 small islands of Greece
The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is launching a major initiative to support public healthcare on Greece’s small islands, committing €10 million over a seven-year period to help retain 80 doctors on 47 small islands of the country served by the smallest primary healthcare units. These 47 islands are served by Regional Clinics and Multi-purpose Regional Clinics, the smallest healthcare facilities within the Greek National Health System, and the programme does not apply to islands that host health centres or larger healthcare structures.
The donation agreement was signed during a special ceremony at the Office of the Greek Prime Minister, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, by the President of the Foundation Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis.
The initiative was inspired by the strong and long-standing connection of the Foundation’s founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, with the islands of Greece, as well as by the challenges faced by small island communities in accessing essential healthcare services.
The purpose of the donation is to create a meaningful and stable incentive, with a seven-year commitment, to attract and retain medical professionals in healthcare facilities on Greece’s small islands, ensuring uninterrupted access to healthcare services for their residents throughout the year.
Under the programme, 80 doctors and rural service doctors who are physically present at the healthcare facilities of these islands will receive €1,500 per month in net additional income, paid for 12 months each year. The amount will be paid by the Greek State following the donation from the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. This is in addition to their existing salaries from the National Health System, effectively bringing their net monthly income close to €3,000. The donation aims to help offset the significantly higher cost of living and accommodation on small islands and to create a real incentive for doctors to serve in these remote locations.
This initiative forms part of the Foundation’s long-standing strategy to contribute, where there is a clear social need, with solutions built for long term impact and continuity. In a framework where the State must apply uniform policies across the entire country and private companies cannot intervene directly in the public healthcare system, the immediate action and discretion of a private donor can, for the first time, provide a targeted and practical response to this specific challenge, complementing the efforts of the State.
The implementation of the programme – including the announcement of positions, the selection of doctors for each island and the payment of the funds to beneficiaries – will be carried out by the Ministry of Health and the competent Regional Health Authorities, in accordance with the terms of the donation agreement. An online application process will be announced shortly.
About the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that supports social and educational initiatives in countries where its founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has been active, including Greece, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Monaco. The Foundation contributes to society through the following initiatives:
- Through the “Food From the Heart” initiative, it supports a large number of people facing difficult economic conditions in Greece, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. The program began in 2013 and provides snacks every working day to vulnerable groups, distributing an average of 300,000 snacks per month to approximately 150,000 visitors
- It organizes a total of seven entrepreneurship awards in Greece, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Monaco.
- It funds scholarships, helping young people attend school and university institutions such as Doukas School, BCA College and ΩMEGA Yachting Academy in Athens, the University of Cyprus in Cyprus, and the London School of Economics and Bayes Business School, City University of London in the United Kingdom.
- It offers the Stelios Foundation Conference Hall, with a capacity of up to 200 people, free of charge to non-profit organizations. The historic building that houses the hall at 22 Kidathineon Street in Plaka was fully renovated by the Foundation and inaugurated in autumn 2023.
ELNAVI Newsletter
More Information: ELNAVI,
19, Aristidou str., Piraeus 185 31,
Tel.: +30 210 45.22.100, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.