The Municipality of Platanias this week announced the creation of a new Platanias branch of the Ambulance Service (in Greek EKAB, or National Centre for Immediate Assistance), which will be provisionally stationed at the Regional Surgery in the old police station in Kolymbari.

The creation of a Platanias branch of the Ambulance Service fulfils a longstanding demand both of the Municipal Council and the local community, since the relocation of an ambulance from the Chania branch in previous years was insufficient to cover the area’s increased needs for emergency pre-hospital care

The Platanias is the largest municipality in area in Crete. It receives thousands of visitors annually, has an extensive and particularly overloaded road network, while it remains the only municipality in the Regional Unit of Chania without a Health Centre. The new Platanias Branch of EKAB, based at Kolymbari, will cover vital healthcare needs of the wider area, serving both the Municipality of Platanias and the neighbouring Municipality of Kissamos, contributing decisively to the improvement of the operational readiness of the EKAB in Western Crete,

In announcing the move, the Mayor of Platanias Giannis Malandrakis said: “… The fulfilment of our longstanding demand for the creation of an EKAB branch in our area constitutes a development of vital importance for the protection of human lives and the reinforcement of Public Health. However, for the full and effective functioning of the branch, it needs to be manned by permanent staff, so as to ensure 24-hour operation throughout the year…”
(Municipal press release, 02/07/25)