Report says public hospitals lack staff, medical equipment

Public hospitals in Greece are suffering from acute staff shortages, have antiquated medical machines that are frequently out of order, while patients are frequently forced to wait at least six weeks to get an x-ray, the Federation of Public Hospital Workers (POEDIN) said in a report, warning that the Health Ministry is destroying the National Health System (ESY).

The problems at public hospitals, POEDIN said, are forcing patients to resort to private ones. Citing a long list of examples from around the country, the report said some major hospitals, such as the Metaxas Hospital in Piraeus, don’t even have a CAT scanner.