Healthcare problems at Thessaloniki University General Hospital (AHEPA) caused by the memorandum policy in the healthcare sector in Greece

According to information from the chairman of the committee of National Health Service hospital doctors at Thessaloniki University General Hospital (AHEPA), the hospital provides treatment using poor quality materials and consumables.

In fact, following the drastic cuts to the hospital’s budget (from EUR 80 million to EUR 30 million a year), which were due to the spending cuts imposed on the health sector under the memorandum, the AHEPA is now forced to buy poor quality, budget materials and consumables, thus putting the health of its patients at serious risk.

For example, patients being treated for kidney disease have complained about the poor quality of the dialysis equipment.

The situation at the AHEPA is no different from that in other hospitals in Greece and it is expected to deteriorate in 2015, as all hospital budgets have been cut by a further 22.9%.

In view of the above, will the Commission, as a member of the Troika, say whether it intends to continue to demand spending cuts on hospitals in 2015, despite the increased risks to patients’ health, and what measures it intends to take to compensate Greece for the huge social cost of the memorandum policy applied in the health sector?

Source: European Parliament