Desperate state of public healthcare in Greece

12.2.2013

Question for written answer E-001446-13
to the Commission
Rule 117
Charalampos Angourakis (GUE/NGL)

Public healthcare in Greece has been in an alarming state for some time. An increasing number of unemployed and uninsured people, but also workers whose wages have been plundered, are excluded from even basic public health services. The fact that public health spending fell by 32.1% in 2012 compared to 2009 and private healthcare by 52.9% over the same period shows that some population groups are completely excluded from any kind of medical examination and medicine.

Mergers between — and the dismantling of — public hospitals, clinics, laboratories, bed capacity and specialist units and staff reductions through the creation of new agencies all serve to reduce government spending and boost the entrepreneurial efficiency of public health units. Permanent and stable jobs are increasingly disappearing, employees’ salaries are being drastically cut, the number of doctors on call is being reduced, and there are severe shortages of medical equipment and disposable material for prompt and safe treatment, even in emergencies.

The severe state of underfunding of the National Organisation for the Provision of Health Services (EOPYY) and the insurance funds, reductions in the services provided by this organisation and the increase in payments by insured persons for medicines, treatments and tests are leading to a deterioration of the condition of patients, especially among the working classes. The position of self-employed health workers is also deteriorating due to long delays in payments by the state and EOPYY and the ‘haircut’ in the compensation owed to them; furthermore, their livelihoods are at risk from healthcare and drugs consortia.

The capitalist economic crisis is being used to promote and consolidate public health commercialisation and privatisation measures that have been planned for years, as part of the strategy pursued by the EU and all Member State governments to boost the competitiveness of business groups.

This situation would not exist if the wealth produced by the workers belonged to society and not to individuals. The economy and society must be organised differently, and the criterion for development must be the ability to meet the health and hospital care needs of the people by developing a modern and absolutely free state health system.

What is the Commission’s position on these issues?

OJ C 355 E, 05/12/2013