Concern mounts over islands without doctors
A few days before the big Easter exodus of huge numbers of visitors and with the start of the summer season looming, concern is growing over the serious shortcomings of the National Health System (ESY) units on the Greek islands.
Medical staff shortages is the norm on popular tourist islands such as Kos, Santorini, Naxos, Corfu, Zakinthos and Tinos, to name just a few.
“Easter is coming, the tourist season is starting, our islands will be crowded with tourists and locals, and yet the state of the health units of the islands and [ambulance service] EKAV remain particularly problematic and precarious. Announcements are made, but no healthcare worker is interested. And anyone who decides to go to an island health facility to work resigns because they can’t make ends meet,” says Michalis Giannakos, the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers (POEDIN).
