Money paid to Greek hospital doctors in ‘fakelakia’ rose in 2009-13

One in three Greeks pays a fakelaki (“little envelope”) for treatment at state hospitals, the general inspector of public administration, Leandros Rakintzis, has revealed to Kathimerini.

These under-the-table payments may range from 200 euros for giving birth or an eye operation, to over 5,000 euros for more complicated surgeries.

According to a survey carried out by Professor Ioannis Kyriakopoulos, money paid in fakelakia to doctors in both the public and the private sectors increased by 300 million euros in the 2009-13 period.