Minister Adonis Georgiadis and US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle. Credit: Greek Ministry of Health
Greece’s Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, and US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle announced a new cooperation on Monday, November 24, 2025 to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into the National Health System (ESY).
The collaboration, a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the American company Sword Health, will lead to the establishment of the ESY’s first “smart entries,” centered on the existing 1566 health line.
The new AI-powered tool for Greece’s National Health System
The core of the project is a digital assistant that will provide automated responses to callers on the 1566 line, beginning in Easter 2026. The system will supply information, make appointments, and direct callers to the appropriate healthcare resource based on their issue.
The Ministry hopes the system will better manage patient flow, steering non-emergency cases—estimated by Sword Health to be up to 30% of patients currently seeking care at public hospitals—toward primary care instead of emergency room visits. This automation is also expected to free up existing staff to handle serious emergencies.
Minister Georgiadis stressed that the implementation will be overseen by the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Greece and be conducted with the full knowledge of Greek medical associations.
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AI not replacing doctors
Speaking at the press conference, Minister Georgiadis welcomed Ambassador Guilfoyle to the ministry and announced a wider health cooperation between the two nations.
Minister Georgiadis said:
“Today, we are inaugurating a great strategic cooperation in health to utilize the new technologies born in the United States faster than all others in Europe, so that we can achieve the optimal results for our own patients … In no way will artificial intelligence replace doctors. All we hope to do with systems like this is to have better management of patient flow to hospitals.”
He noted that the digital assistant is designed to handle thousands of current calls for simple queries, and if the assistant determines the issue is medical rather than typical, the caller will be referred to a doctor.
Ambassador Guilfoyle praised the Greek government’s initiative:
“I would like to commend your vision and bold recognition of the exceptional role that artificial intelligence can play in transforming and upgrading healthcare. American companies, such as Sword Health, are leading as pioneers and innovators … I could not be prouder that Greece recognizes the extraordinary value of American ingenuity and technological superiority.”
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