Public hospitals in Thessaloniki score low in poll

Six in 10 Thessaloniki residents are unhappy with public hospitals and five in 10 with the healthcare system overall, according to a new survey presented by the northern port’s Medical Association.

According to the study, 29.5 percent of respondents said they see a doctor only when they’re afraid they may have something serious and just 18.3 percent have regular checkups.

Only six in 10 respondents (57 percent), meanwhile, claimed to be aware of the Health Ministry’s initiative to increase the role of so-called “family doctors,” general practitioners working in the public health system who are responsible for examining patients before referring them to experts if that is deemed necessary.