Hospitals in crisis

[Maik]

Greek hospitals cannot afford painkillers, scissors or sheets as budget cuts bite

Greek hospitals have run out of supplies such as painkillers, scissors and sheets as swingeing budget cuts have left the health service unable to provide even basic provisions for operations and medical procedures.

Huge cuts to the healthcare budget, amid the economic turmoil which made millions unemployed, have left than 2.5m Greeks uninsured, up from 500,000 in 2008, the Times reported.

On coming to power the Syriza government scrapped the €5 fee for attending state hospitals and pledged to hire 4,500 more health workers, despite the need for austerity and criticism from creditors.

Notwithstanding the government’s promises, healthcare spending has fallen by 25 per cent since 2009, creating shortages of the most basic surgical equipment and leaving too little money to pay nurses' salaries.

Reports have surfaced of patients being turned away from hospital because there was no meter to measure their high blood pressure, while others have had to do without painkillers during medical procedures. One patient was even asked to bring their own sheets to hospital.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-hospitals-cannot-afford-painkillers-scissors-or-sheets-as-budget-cuts-bite-10271819.html

[Bryan-in-Kilkis]

And yet all the soldier boys flying around in northern Greece in hugely expensive helicopters burning masses of costly fuel can still play with their toys.  Looneyland.