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Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis speaks about coronavirus experience as he makes donation

The Greek businessman visited a hospital in his homeland this week and thanked those who aided his recovery

07 December 2020

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis says the health care he received after contracting coronavirus earlier this year was "simply inspiring".

The Greek tested positive for Covid-19 in March, shortly before the English professional game was suspended due to the pandemic.

He has thanked those who aided his recovery, and has made a donation to assist the public health sector in his homeland.

In April, it was announced Marinakis was part of a group offering 1.5m euros to provide vital equipment.

And this week he attended the General State Hospital of Nikaia, which received 12 new Intensive Care Unit beds from that donation.

Marinakis, who also owns Greek giants Olympiacos, posted on social media: "I would like to thank all NHS doctors and the entire health organization. I was one of the first to experience coronavirus, early enough in March, and the NHS response was simply inspiring.

"I am using this opportunity to once again thank you all, for pushing yourselves beyond limits in these critical moments.

"From our side, I consider we have to contribute to this effort. What matters is that all 12 beds and medical equipment are state-of-the-art and they have been delivered very quickly; this means a lot since our country needs them now more than ever.

"I believe that very soon we will be able to leave this pandemic behind, stronger and united."

According to Greek media outlet in.gr, the donation from the group made up of Marinakis, Aggeliki Frangou and the company ION SA, “exceeds 1.5m euros and includes the purchase of complete equipment for the 12 ICU beds (special ICU beds, high-tech fixed ventilators, special monitors, pumps, defibrillators, etc.), the reimbursement of expenses for all construction works and spatial planning conversions required, expenses for all electromechanical works, the cost of all required health and nursing equipment, as well as anything else that may arise in the context of the expansion of the Intensive Care Unit”.

When the donation was announced earlier this year, the Minister of Health, Vassilis Kikilias, had thanked the group "for their important contribution to the strengthening of the National Health System, for the treatment of the great public health crisis that we are experiencing in the country ".