Bad habits tax ailing health system, OECD report finds

Greeks continue to overly rely on expensive diagnostic tests and hospital treatment, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says in its Health at a Glance 2017 report.

Using figures from 2015, the OECD found that 181 CT scans were conducted that year for every 1,000 residents, which is an improvement from the 320.4:1,000 ratio of 2010, though still well above the average of 143 CT scans per 1,000 residents among OECD member-states. The USA, Japan and Luxembourg top the list, while Finland, Slovenia and the UK come in the last three places.

Greeks appear less partial to MRIs, however, coming near the average in 2015 with 67.9 such diagnostic tests per 1,000 residents against an average of 64.8:1,000.

The study further pointed to a health system that is too reliant on hospitals, with a discharge rate of 196.5 per 1,000 citizens in 2015, against the OECD average of 156:1,000, ranking Greece in eighth place.