Greek Islands: Doctor Shortages Amid Tourist Peak

Severe shortages of medical staff are reported on the Greek islands, especially during the peak tourist season. Anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and pathologists are absent from Health Centers and hospitals, despite the financial incentives offered by the Ministry of Health.

POEDIN (Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers) reports that the air ambulance system functions as a 'cast' for the fractured NHS.

Indicatively, in Naxos, surgeries other than orthopedic ones are not performed due to a lack of anesthesiologists. In Kefalonia, there is a risk of resignations due to work exhaustion. In Kythira, the only anesthesiologist resigned, and there is no pathologist.

In Milos, there are no pediatricians or cardiologists. In Naxos, there is no radiologist, while in Karpathos, the radiology department is closed on weekends and nights. In Corfu, CT scans are handled by a private laboratory.

In Kos, the situation has improved with the presence of two private pathologists and one permanent one, as well as three cardiologists. However, there are problems in the surgical clinic.

The president of POEDIN, Michalis Giannakos, emphasizes that financial incentives are not enough to reverse the situation and that the NHS needs a restart.