Heraklion: Free wellness and beauty services for oncology patients

Every Monday, the oncology patients undergoing radiation at Heraklion University Hospital are a little more smiling, a little more relaxed, a little more optimistic. The reason is hidden in the pioneering service offered to them in recent months by volunteer beauticians, members of the Union of Certified Estheticians of Crete, implementing an idea that is being implemented for the first time in Greece, but has already been successfully implemented in university centers in Italy.

In both the morning and afternoon radiotherapy shifts, patients wait their turn every Monday to enjoy a small facial treatment, a massage on their extremities or a nail treatment, as a heartfelt care provided by the Association of Certified Estheticians of Crete.

The idea belongs to the former president of the support association for patients with neoplastic disease “I live with cancer”, Mrs. Kaiti Kounalaki. A former cancer patient herself and former president of EDAK, she thought that such an offer would bring great joy to patients. As it happened. “Patients forget for a while, they feel like they can get out of their phobic thoughts for a while and believe that the moment will quickly come when they will get back to their lives and start taking care of themselves again,” he explains.

The proposal for this action was immediately accepted by the director of the radiation therapy department of PAGNI, Mrs. Maria Tolia. A space was immediately created for the beauticians to work, after a special chair and the necessary products were placed there. After all, dry skin, redness and stiffness are just some of the side effects of radiation therapy, and beauticians have a lot to offer for their recovery.

What happened was beyond the expectations of the volunteers who offer their services. As the president of EDAK, Mrs. Irini Dandari, told ERT Heraklion, “at first they looked at us with reservations and asked what we want to do to them. Then 2-3 people came, but slowly they started looking for us and wanting to be on the list to treat them and also what really impressed us is that our action attracts a lot of men”!

Mrs. Dandari clarifies that the members of the EDAK are university educated, are part of primary health care and practice paramedics, so they have all the qualifications to offer safe services to patients, within the framework defined by the medical staff.

Beauticians from all over Crete responded to the invitation that EDAK addressed to its members. “Every Monday two people come and they come from Sitia, from Rethymno, from Chania and from all over Heraklion”, says Mrs. Dandari and adds that this is an unprecedented action for everyone.

Shortly before taking action, the volunteer beauticians were trained by the “I live with cancer” association, so that they could offer their services even more effectively. “We are next to the patients, smiling and optimistic, and this half hour of interaction with them gives them so much joy that it makes us feel that our action was successful, since it pushes them to see life with optimism”, says Mrs. Dandari and adds that after the first 2-3 minutes, the patients forget that they are in the hospital and the time either before or after the radiation therapy is spent very pleasantly”.

On Thursday evening, as a seal of this action, which is being carried out for the first time in Greece, a memorandum of cooperation is signed between the Union of Certified Estheticians of Crete and the “I live with cancer” Association.