Islands haunted by doctor shortages ahead of summer

There are not enough doctors to treat patients at National Health System (ESY) units on the Greek islands and the situation is set to deteriorate further during the summer with the arrival of tourists. The relatively few medical staff that remain are struggling to keep up and are overworked.

At the General Hospital of Syros, which is a go-to health unit for all of the Cyclades islands, anyone who retires is not replaced.

The Health Center of Tinos, which is called upon to serve 10,000 permanent residents in the winter and a much larger number of tourists in the summer, has three doctors left – a pediatrician, a microbiologist and a dentist.

Experts say that the local authorities are not doing enough to attract doctors, insisting that “salary increases and incentives need to be given to make it possible to establish doctors on islands.”