Hospital fee goes into effect
Patients being admitted to state hospitals have to pay a 25-euro admission fee as of the beginning of the year.
Speaking to Mega TV on Thursday, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said that the fee will not apply to poor people as well as patients suffering chronic illnesses.
“Do not worry, they won’t go to jail,” Geordiadis said of people who cannot afford to pay the fee.
The ministry has in the past said that the measure will not apply to those earning less than 11,000 euros per year. It has also said that it will not apply to those visiting hospitals for medical tests.
The measure is part of the country’s bailout program carved out by Greece’s lenders, the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank and has been approved by Parliament.
