The difficulties of life on the outlying islands are vividly highlighted by the story of young Valentina, who suffered a serious injury on Kastelorizo. Her mother, Eugenia Kavida, shared the heart-wrenching decision to take her daughter to Türkiye after the island’s rural doctor was unavailable.

Speaking to Where There Is Greece, Ms. Kavida recounts the tragic day a year ago when Valentina severely injured her arm. “I lost so many years of my life,” she says, reflecting on the accident. Valentina was climbing a lift at home with her grandmother when the injury occurred.

“The injury was severe. To me, it seemed as if part of her arm was missing. I called her dad, and when he arrived, I wrapped her in a towel, and he began carrying her. At that moment, the rural doctor was away, but luckily, a surgeon was visiting,” she explained.

“We saw the Turkish doctor immediately, bypassing the local surgery. He was leaving, and we considered going to a larger hospital. We knew that even if a helicopter was called, it would take at least two and a half hours to get to Kastelorizo. And once the helicopter arrived, where would we go? The hospital in Rhodes, where I’m from, has been understaffed for years,” she added.

The couple rushed to Kastellorizo, and an ambulance transported them to the city hospital, where doctors worked tirelessly to save Valentina’s arm. “They ran tests, and we were quickly transferred by ambulance to Antalya, one of the best university hospitals,” Ms. Kavida recalls.

Valentina was hospitalized in Antalya for a month. According to SKAI, a key figure in the child’s recovery was Hiourigun Pakirji Mayafi, who supported the family both emotionally and financially. “She covered the initial expenses since we left with nothing,” Eugenia says. “I would have sold my kidney to get her to this hospital—over and over again. That’s why I don’t want to have another child here. If something serious happens, there’s no insurance. Why would I have a child here when for something as simple as an ultrasound, I have to travel to Rhodes repeatedly? Why shouldn’t we have the option of a proper hospital nearby?”

“Incentivize Doctors to Come to the Island”

“We live in a place where, until recently, I didn’t realize how critical it is to have doctors on the island,” Ms. Kavida reflects. “I was asked, ‘How do you live in Kastelorizo? Aren’t you scared?’ I wasn’t afraid, just unaware. We had small, scary incidents, but it wasn’t until something serious happened that we realized how critical the situation with doctors here truly is,” she explains.

When Valentina was injured, “we had to make a quick decision, and it was the right one. Valentina still has her hand because of it. Since then, we’ve changed as people.”

“Everything worked out in the end, but we need to incentivize doctors to come to the island,” she concluded.