On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the inauguration and naming ceremony of the renovated labour ward “Marilena Laskaridis”, of the Alexandra General Hospital took place. The complete renovation of the labour ward was carried out with an exclusive donation from Dr. Christina Laskaridis.
The inauguration and naming ceremony of the renovated “Marilena Laskaridis” labour ward took place in a festive and moving atmosphere, in the presence of the Minister of Health, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis, the Minister of Education, Sports and Religious Affairs, Mrs. Sofia Zacharakis, the Rector of the University of Athens, Mr. Gerasimos Siasos, Professors, Presidents, Governors, Directors and all health professionals and midwife associations of major hospitals of Athens.
July 1, 2025 is a historic day, a milestone for obstetrics, midwifery and the Alexandra General Hospital. It marks the beginning of a new era, as for the first time in a public hospital of the National Health Service, a complete renovation of the labour ward was carried out, which now operates with state-of-the-art facilities.
The complete renovation of the “Marilena Laskaridis” labour ward of Alexandra General Hospital was motivated in order to offer safety, dignity and respect to the mother during childbirth and to reduce unnecessary interventions. This now enables all women, regardless of social and economic background, to have access to a modern and well-equipped public labour ward.
This opens a new chapter for obstetrics and midwifery in Greece as for the first time in a public hospital of the National Health Service, the following are provided:
4+1 renovated birthing rooms
Built-in bathrooms that allow privacy
Birth balls, peanutballs, birthing sling, birth stool, shower
Birthing pool
Low & Mild Illumination
Access to natural light
Possibility of music in the room
At the opening ceremony, the donor Dr. Christina Laskaridis, after thanking everyone for their cooperation and support in the implementation and completion of the project, referred to its early stages, “I remember the first times we were shown the ward by the doctors and midwives to see its shortcomings, and to understand the magnitude of the work we were undertaking … As the work begun, our ambition for the project expanded. We did everything we could to focus and serve the needs of a woman in labour and the working conditions that revolve around them” and stressed that “by offering better infrastructure for expanded options in childbirth, the education and training of resident doctors and midwives is also strengthened. In this space, as it is often said, it is not only babies and newborns that are born. Mothers and new parents are born, who from one moment to the next, begin this journey of care which oftentimes sets off on the wrong foot from the maternity hospital and may continue at home without support, and consequently, new parents soon find themselves facing insurmountable difficulties.”
Photos before and after the renovation:
Photos of the inauguration:
