Visitors to Samaria Gorge in Crete will be equipped with a wearable smart device, much like a smartwatch, that tracks vital health metrics under a new initiative designed to address sudden medical emergencies and accelerate response times for rescue crews in the event of an accident.
Spearheaded by the Region of Crete, the scheme was pilot-tested in recent days by volunteers who hiked the entire length of the gorge. Over the next three months, it will be pilot-tested by members of the general public crossing the gorge as well. The application’s reliability will then be evaluated so the device can go into full implementation for the next tourist season, providing an additional safety net for the thousands of visitors who take on this challenging, roughly 17-kilometer (11-mile) trek.
The regional authority’s general director of public health and social services, Antonis Papadakis, tells Kathimerini that the initiative is essentially a telemedicine process, backed by 5G coverage to ensure the system operates smoothly.
On entering the gorge, visitors will be equipped with this wearable device, which features GPS tracking and a panic button, and measures oxygen saturation levels, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. This data will be transmitted in real time to a command center, which will be staffed during the gorge’s operating hours.
