Hospitals across Greece, including those on remote islands, are facing serious challenges. Staff shortages, scheduling conflicts, and difficulties in patient transfers are causing major concerns.
A recent study by National Federation of Greek Hospital Workers (PEODIN) highlights the extent of the personnel deficit, even in areas with high populations and tourism.
Michalis Giannakos, president of POEDIN, speaking to MEGA TV, is morning, expressed disappointment, noting a decline in healthcare coverage this year. “This year things have taken a turn for the worse. Local authorities complain, but they do nothing about it.”
In Corfu, the most populated of the Ionian Islands with nearly 100,000 residents (doubling during tourist season), the hospital struggles with just 2 permanent pathologists and 2 nephrologists, insufficient for dialysis needs. Private physicians conduct consultations, and nursing staff shortages are notable.
The representative of Corfu’s hospital employees, acknowledges shortcomings, particularly in pathology.
On Kos Island, in the Aegean Sea, with 40,000 residents (increasing in summer), the hospital has only 1 pediatrician and 1 cardiologist, lacking pathologists entirely.
While Katerina Gavala, from Kos’s Medical Association, highlights the ongoing struggle for a pathologist. She emphasizes the urgent need for improvement, commenting “We are a hospital without a pathologist. In 2024, we are still discussing the fact that there is no pathologist on the islands.”
