Many Greeks avoid seeing a doctor when ill due to cost

Thirty percent of people who fell ill in Greece in 2016 did not see a doctor, according to a new survey which found that 35.8 percent of those people who did not seek treatment did so due to the financial cost.

The nationwide survey, based on a sample of 2,000 adults, was carried out in January 2017 by the National School of Public Health in Athens.

The results, which highlight the impact of the financial crisis on access to medical care, were made available only recently.

The study showed that the main reason Greeks consulted a health professional in 2016 was because they were experiencing a symptom or pain, with 47.4 percent giving that as a reason. In 2006 only 21 percent gave that as a main reason as most people visited doctors to receive medical prescriptions or routine checkups.

Meanwhile, 26.4 percent of Greeks who needed healthcare in 2016 received it for free, compared to 52.6 percent in 2006.