The Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) has volunteered to help refurbish ramshackle facilities in Greece's public hospitals and buy thousands of bed sheets and blankets for patients.
"This will not only change daily life in hospitals but also render a sense of dignity to patients again," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said after a meeting with the UGS' leadership at his office on Tuesday.
This is the latest in a long-standing series of trade-offs between Greece and its shipowners, which have seen the government stoutly defend the industry's interests in tax and regulatory spats with foreign governments and organisations.
In exchange, shipowners have helped prop up the country's cash-strapped hospitals, police and coastguards by sponsoring ambulances, police cars and patrol boats.
The UGS has founded a charity arm, Syn-Enosis, to coordinate much of that work.
"There is much that we do without publicly announcing it," UGS president Theodore Veniamis said in a statement.
Impact of austerity
Greece is still suffering from austerity imposed as part of a multibillion-euro bailout of its government by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
The public health system has been particularly affected. A lack of soap and paper in the often decrepit toilets of public hospitals is common.
In what Greek Minister for Health Vassilis Kikilias called "a huge intervention", the UGS will now overhaul 2,761 hospital toilets in the greater Athens region and build 96 new ones. More than 100,000 bed sheets, 25,000 pillows and as many blankets will be sent in for more than 120 beds throughout the country.
The toilets are scheduled to be fixed by the end of this year.
"We will obviously try to finish very quickly," Veniamis said. "It will be a bit difficult to coordinate the construction companies to avoid having to shut hospitals down.
"But I believe that by working in harmony together, we will manage to have finished that effort in 2020."
