Five islands in the Dodecanese archipelago will host specialized mobile medical missions from September to November 2026 to strengthen healthcare services for residents living in small, remote, and border island communities.
The seasonal healthcare schedule was announced by Galenos, a non-profit company for health promotion and social care operating under the Region of the South Aegean. Under the planned schedule, medical teams will deliver health services to the islands of Symi, Patmos, Kastellorizo, Karpathos, and Kasos.
For the first time, these outreach missions will feature the Mobile Health Unit from the Blood Donation Department of Rhodes General Hospital. The inclusion of the mobile unit will allow healthcare workers to conduct blood sampling and support voluntary blood donors directly within their home island communities.
Blood donation schedule
The mobile blood donation unit will make its debut on the remote border island of Kastellorizo during an extended medical visit scheduled from October 16 to October 19. Organizers noted that the initiative, coordinated in partnership with the Association of Volunteer Blood Donors of Rhodes, enables local residents to contribute blood on their own island without needing to travel to Rhodes.
The broader medical mission itinerary opens in Symi from September 4 to September 6, before moving to Patmos from September 11 to September 13. Following the October 16 to October 19 visit to Kastellorizo, healthcare teams will travel to Karpathos from October 29 to October 31, and will wrap up the autumn cycle on Kasos from November 12 to November 14.
Healthcare access across remote islands
The Dodecanese comprises a cluster of islands located in the southeastern Aegean Sea, where smaller and easternmost outposts depend heavily on larger island centers like Rhodes for hospital services. Regional organizers stressed that these targeted medical actions carry essential weight for small island populations, providing essential care on-site and sparing residents from frequent sea travel to larger islands.
Officials added that embedding voluntary blood donation into the medical missions broadens the scope of the regional initiative while reinforcing efforts to build up critical blood reserves from local populations. Galenos confirmed that it will continue working alongside partner organizations to maintain healthcare support across the South Aegean islands, working toward equal access to health services for all island residents.
