The everyday life of a pregnant woman in Kythera reveals the great challenges that the island's residents face when they become parents. In her post, Mariza Karidi, based on the case of her friend, describes vividly the reality of every pregnant woman in Kythera, who is forced to travel to Athens for the necessary examinations and stay there during the last months of pregnancy, due to the lack of a gynecologist at the hospital. Read her post:
«What if you are a permanent resident of Kythera and you want to become a mother? Every pregnant woman in Kythera has to go regularly to Athens to have tests to check the progress of her pregnancy. And during the last stage of pregnancy, if her family doesn't have a house in the capital, she has to either rent or stay with them until she gives birth to her baby and then after about 1 month they have to return to the island together. Because although the hospital in Kythera has the necessary equipment for gynaecological use, there is no gynaecologist. The gynaecologist who has been employed is on maternity leave and so the position in the system appears to be occupied, but in fact it is vacant. So before a little squeaky baby is born, its family has already incurred the not inconsiderable costs of transport and accommodation in Athens.
What if a gynaecological emergency happens on the island? In that case we cross our fingers. If it happens on a day when there's a boat to Piraeus, fine. Because if the pregnancy is advanced, the pregnant woman cannot travel by plane or if she has a second child with her, she also cannot “fly” because her belly, the child and she cannot fit in the 1 seat provided for them by the airline and so they are forbidden to fly without a second guardian who will sit with the child in her arms. Also, for the pregnant woman to take the boat to Naples and then drive requires that there be someone to accompany her on the trip. And if it is windy and there is a no sailing rule or if the pregnant woman has a second small child to look after, then the logistics become even more complicated and daunting.
Yesterday an emergency happened to my friend Chloe, pictured, with an advanced pregnancy and a small child. Her husband stayed home with the baby and she ended up alone in the hospital, without a gynecologist and with a medical staff trying to arrange an airlift. Eventually she was lucky and a general practitioner was found on the island who, with the telephone guidance of a gynaecologist from Sparta, was able to help her and all went well.
But, is it possible that pregnant women and fetuses are literally left to their own devices? Especially on an island that needs to increase its population and create more families. Does anyone know where we, Chloe and I, can formally lodge our complaints about the lack of a gynaecologist?»
