Asklepeion Voula opened in 1920 as the top hospital for children with tuberculosis of the bones and joints, and later as an orthopedic hospital.  The need s of Asklepeion during the study area was covered fundamentally until 1961 with few pathologists.  Due to the need to address the ever-increasing cardiovascular events, in 1961 the central government appointed its first honorary cardiologist as a scientific collaborator who visited the hospital 2 times a week.  Doctors of all specialties from the start appreciated the usefulness of cardiology. It was soon deemed that the presence of a cardiologist 2 times a week in a hospital with 10 orthopedic clinics spread over 120 acres was not enough.  So, in 1962 the management of the hospital and the ECA acknowledged and decided to operate with the presence of cardiac surgery cardiologist 3 times a week. Things had improved but still one cardiologist was not sufficient for emergency and serious incidences.  In April 1963 the central administration of the ECA decided to promote the practice of  the cardiology department with a manager.  In early 1979 the Department of Social Services approved the feasibility of operating a unit for intensive care heart patients. The cardiology clinic now has its own history and its own stand-alone destination, and rightfully so, it can continue its work.

FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT

The cardiology clinic has 31 beds and 6 beds in the intensive care unit, staffed by 10 for heart patients.  They are qualified cardiologists with 13 residents’ .The triple rooms all have bath and toilets. All have TV‘s and air conditioning. It has modern high-tech ultrasound equipment.

The Cardiology Department has:

• Modern stress testing system s with electronic storage of examinations, which hosts more than 300 exercise test per year.

• 3 modern echocardiogram machine (that can also store the generated images), which conducted more than 1000 color echocardiography (triplex), including those carried out in patients hospitalized in other parts of the Clinic.

• Three (3) heart rate recorder s(Holter), which operate daily on patients hospitalized in other parts of the Clinic.

• Five (5) 24-hour blood pressure recording machines.