Waiting times for surgeries can run well over a year

Waiting lists for surgeries at state hospitals have grown even longer since the coronavirus pandemic, leading many patients to fork out extra money to private clinics.

At central Athens’ Evangelismos Hospital, the waiting time for cardiovascular operations is about 12-14 months, according to surgeon Panagiotis Dedeilias. Even before the pandemic, it could take six to eight months for a heart patient to be operated on, he says.

Even though the pandemic has subsided, a large percentage of doctors and nurses assigned to deal with Covid-19 cases have not returned to their previous posts. And there is a general lack of personnel. At Evangelismos, which has 22 operating theaters, 16 were open before the pandemic and 11 currently.

At Thessaloniki’s largest public hospital, the waiting time for eye surgery averages eight months, while hernia patients can wait up to three years, health workers say.