Doctor shortages leave hospitals struggling to cope

Shortages in doctors have created problems in the operations of key departments at several hospitals. 

“We have warned that the problem of understaffing at hospitals will explode and hospitals will collapse,” Panos Papanikolaou of the Federation of Greek Hospital Doctors’ Unions told Kathimerini.

Authorities have no plan to deal with the fact that medics are leaving the country, according to Papanikolaou, who said 35-40 percent of specialist posts are vacant.

Hospitals in Agrinio and Tripoli and the Thrasio in western Athens are among those worse affected.