BUSINESS: 476 PRACTICES
With its multifaceted initiatives and the responsible and safe gaming strategy it follows, bwin is at the forefront of the effort for a better society.
bwin proudly supports any small or large initiative to create a sustainable society. The society of our children!
You can find more about bwin's social footprint at: https://bwincares.gr/.
Improving the quality of life for social groups far from cities and towns
Residents of remote and not easily accessible parts of Greece, starting with Agios Efstratios, Psara, Fournoi Korseon, Kastellorizo, Prespes and Kimi in Rhodope
All initiatives started in March 2019 and were completed in October 2020.
Bwin remains true to its social responsibility strategy and to the vision of supporting the people and the local communities in which it operates. Having the strong belief that prevention is better than cure and that everyone should have access to public health care, “Médecins du Monde”, with the support of bwin, delivered humanitarian missions in remote regions of Greece.
The first and foremost mission of “Médecins du Monde” is to provide medical care services. Since its inception, “Médecins du Monde” developed several related programs both in Greece and abroad. The goal is to provide those services to people who don’t have easy access to health care and medical services. One of the programs implemented in Greece deals with this problem in remote areas of the country. Bwin’s vision is in line with this program and decided to help, so that these people don’t feel forgotten.
Agios Efstratios (March 2019), Psara (September 2019), Fournoi Korseon (October 2019), Kastellorizo (November 2019), Prespes (September 2020) and Kimi in Rhodope (October 2020) were the areas in which teams of “Médecins du Monde” provided free of charge health care services to the residents, with the support of bwin.
At times, the weather wasn’t an ally, as strong winds caused problems in reaching some of the most distant Greek islands. On other occasions, heavy rain or snow became obstacles in reaching the mainland areas. Places that locals call “home”, but often lack the infrastructure and self-evident things, which appear to be “obvious” for most of us, such as health services.
Each mission lasted an average of 4-5 days, depending on weather conditions and available means of travel, and 8-10 people participated each time. In total, more than 800 people benefited from this program. The humanitarian missions included services of specialist Pediatricians, Pathologists, Cardiologists, Dentists as well as a modern mobile ophthalmology unit, accompanied by an Ophthalmologist, alongside 2 or 3 nurses.
It is worth noting that according to a 2017 survey, Greece spends around 1650 euros per capita in public health care, while the EU average is just under 3000 euros. The amount corresponds to 8.4% of the country’s GDP and since 2009 only 59% of expenses for health services are covered by the State, as a result of reductions in public funding. That means that initiatives such as those of “Médecins du Monde” and bwin are extremely important in a society which is trying to recover after the great fiscal crisis.
The areas were selected based on their size, distance from health services structures, accessibility, and population. They are mainly inhabited by pensioners, who either cannot or don’t want to visit the nearest hospital for regular examinations. At the same time, the presence (or lack) of the necessary personnel in the health services structures, if any, was taken into consideration. The needs of the residents were documented and the missions were organized after communication with the Ministry of Health and the local Municipalities.
“These remote regions of our country remain in many cases forgotten from the state. During 2019 and 2020, with the valuable support of bwin, we managed to provide medical care services to their residents. We warmly thank bwin”, said Hara Tziouvara, Board Member of “Médecins du Monde”.
Bwin supports the humanitarian work of the “Médecins du Monde” as an integral part of its CSR Policy.
Publications from bwin CSR site:
https://bwincares.gr/giatri-tou-kosmou/
Indicative video:
Indicative publications:
https://www.protothema.gr/advertorial/article/1046629/oi-giatroi-tou-kosmou-me-tin-upostirixi-tis-bwin-stis-akritikes-prespes-parehodas-upiresies-ugeias-stous-katoikous/
https://www.gazzetta.gr/advertorial/article/1420846/oi-giatroi-toy-kosmoy-me-tin-ypostirixi-tis-bwin-sto-akritiko-kastellorizo-pics
https://www.lifo.gr/agora/oi-giatroi-toy-kosmoy-me-tin-ypostirixi-tis-bwin-sta-psara-parehontas-ypiresies-ygeias-stoys
https://luben.tv/abaluben/abanews/203913
In total, more than 800 residents of these areas were examined by the medical team, which covered more than 1,600 nautical miles, travelling for over 102 hours by boat, plane and car.
In Psara, the team of doctors in two days examined more than 1/3 of the island’s population, at two different locations of the island. A record number for similar missions. In Kimi, which is located on the borderline with Bulgaria, about 80% of the Pomak community population checked in for precautionary health examinations.
The impact of these actions was really important for the local communities. The mission received extended coverage from the local Press and the residents embraced the doctors’ efforts. Konstantinos Vratsanos, Mayor of Kastellorizo, pointed out how important this initiative was, as it is a way of reducing the number of those leaving the island for the mainland cities. Ioannis Marousis, Mayor of Fournoi Korseon, emphasized the importance and necessity of such actions.
Stratos Amygdalos, Deputy Mayor of Kastellorizo, thanked bwin and “Médecins du Monde” for their visit. Finally, Antonis Lepidas, teacher at the elementary school of Kimi, thanked bwin and “Médecins du Monde” for their visit and underlined the importance of such missions, especially in the outermost regions like Kimi and Rhodope.
Through targeted actions and initiatives, bwin improves the day-life of people in the communities it operates, thus creating a more sustainable future. Having a healthy population in these communities is a goal of great importance for bwin and to meet the targets set, started the collaboration with “Médecins du Monde”. The aim is to help people who leave in remote parts of the country and often feel forgotten by the state.
Without the valuable help of bwin, these types of mission would not be possible. Bwin is supporting the work of “Médecins du Monde” by being next to them while traveling endless kilometers against strong winds in islands, that remain inaccessible when the weather is bad and the communication with the rest of the world is cut off. Bwin wanted to get a hint of the life these people experience.
The fact that representatives of bwin were present in all trips, made them and the people who received medical care services feel that this mission was sacred. Bwin didn’t just help financially “Médecins du Monde”, but lived through the whole journey and appreciated each step. Bwin met local communities and returned part of their trust, contributing to having a society with more equality and access of everyone in health services.
Getting to know those people, their problems and the way that organizations, supported by bwin, work, gives another meaning to these humanitarian missions. Through this process bwin becomes a true ally in the fight for a better society.
