** Greek medics on Lesbos struggling to cope with influx of migrants;budget cuts mean broken
down ambulances and staff overwork
** New York woman charged after allegedly calling an ambulance to get ride to boyfriend’s town
GREECE NEWS
** Ambulance workers on Lesbos, plagued by overworked staff and broken down vehicles, are
struggling to contend with the never ceasing waves of migrants coming to their island. That is the
word from the Associated Press (November 2) which quoted ambulance workers association head
Costa Filis as saying five ambulance are currently out of action awaiting repairs, leaving only 3
in operation. Filis said budget cuts have also left medics sometimes working up to 16 hours a day.
Lesbos is a main stopping point for migrants heading to Europe. So far this year, 300,000 people
have landed in dinghies and other boats from Turkey. The majority make land on the northern
part of the island which is more than an hour’s drive from the hospital.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A Saugerties, New York woman has been charged with falsely reporting an incident after she
allegedly called an ambulance to get a ride to her boyfriend’s town. News 10 (Ali Stewart/November 2)
said Cassandra Lewis, 28, was arrested after arriving in Kingston. According to the newspaper,
she faked an ailment to obtain transport to a Kingston hospital and then immediately signed
herself out to seek her boyfriend. The specified charge is a misdemeanor. The news site did
not give the exact date on which the alleged crime occurred.
