PRESS RELEASE
Athens, 16 June 2026
METAdrasi starts providing Intercultural Mediation Services in the Healthcare Sector for the South Aegean Region
Drawing on more than 15 years of expertise in the provision of interpretation services, METAdrasi has begun covering interpretation and intercultural mediation needs in the healthcare sector in the South Aegean Region.
This is the first organized and systematic intercultural mediation intervention in the healthcare sector in this specific Region. The three-year activity substantially strengthens equal access to healthcare services.
“We are particularly pleased that, after many years of efforts to highlight the enormous gap created by the lack of interpretation and intercultural mediation in hospitals, the State has finally taken measures to address this vital need,” stated METAdrasi’s President, Lora Pappa.
Effective communication in healthcare is a constant and long-standing need. Anticipating this need, since its establishment in 2010, METAdrasi has responded to interpretation requests from hospitals, mainly on a voluntary basis using its own resources, alongside support from the European Commission and international organizations.
Launched in early February, through the activity “Provision of Intercultural Mediation Services in Health Services in the South Aegean Region,” METAdrasi has been making a substantial contribution in ensuring equal healthcare access for refugees and migrants in the South Aegean Region. By facilitating communication, the initiative bridges the gap between healthcare staff—including doctors, nurses, and administrators—and the patients, improving the quality of care provided.
During the first quarter of the activity, more than 235 intervention sessions have been carried out, a number that is expected to increase significantly in the coming period. The intercultural mediators specialize in Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Georgian, Russian, Urdu, Pashto, French, Sorani, Kurmanji and Somali, as well as other languages depending on emerging needs. The activity mainly covers the General Hospital of Leros, the General Hospital of Kos, the General Hospital of Rhodes and the General Hospital of Thira, as well as other healthcare centers in the region.
The project “Provision of Intercultural Mediation Services in Health Services in the South Aegean Region” is implemented within the framework of the “South Aegean 2021–2027” Programme and the Priority “Human Resources and Social Inclusion,” co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).
Stories from the activity
Twenty-nine-year-old Nour* from Syria arrived at the General Hospital of Kos holding her son by the hand. He had a high fever and severe abdominal pain. “I didn’t know how to explain to the doctors what had happened, and I was afraid they wouldn’t understand. I was very worried,” she says. As soon as METAdrasi’s intercultural mediator arrived, Nour was able to describe her child’s symptoms accurately, answer the doctors’ questions and understand the instructions for his medication. “When I heard in my own language what I had to do, I felt that I was not alone. I was able to take proper care of my child.”
Forty-one-year-old Farhad* from Afghanistan had to go to the General Hospital of Leros for tests after experiencing severe chest pain. He was extremely anxious, as he could not communicate in Greek and did not understand the procedure he had to follow. METAdrasi’s Dari-speaking intercultural mediator stood by his side from the moment he arrived at reception, helping not only Farhad but also the medical staff to communicate with one another, accurately conveying the doctors’ questions and instructions. “I was very scared, but when someone spoke to me in my own language, I calmed down. I understood what was happening to me and what I needed to do. This makes a huge difference when you are in a foreign country, have health problems and need help.”
*Names have been changed for protection purposes.
