By Lara Holmes

The current financial crisis, which has increased especially with countries such as Greece, begins to take its toll in terms of health of its inhabitants.

According to a report published in The Lancet, in Greece there are indicators that suggest that access to health services of the Greeks has worsened, especially in vulnerable groups. But it has also increased the number of people who believe that their health is 'bad'. The reasons, yet to be analyzed, may be in budget cuts, among others.

 

 

The report's authors, Alexander Stuckler and David Kentikelenis, University of Cambridge, and Martin McKee, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) have reviewed some indicators of Greek health area, so, for example, have seen that the Greeks had a probability of 15% more of not consulting a doctor in 2009 than before the crisis began in 2007. However, this does not seem directly related to the inability to pay medical attention, but rather it is associated with factors such as waiting lists.

 

As in Spain, access to health in Greece is universal. Therefore, the authors speculate that the reduction in access to health care is related to problems of supply, ie the Hellenic nation has had a 40% budget for the hospitals, there is a lack of personnel, occasional shortage of medical supplies and there are allegations of bribes to medical personnel to bypass the waiting lists in hospitals which are overwhelmed.

Greek citizens do not believe their health is good. From 2007 to 2009 there has been a 14% increase in the number of people who believe their health is 'bad' or 'very bad'. This is reflected in that the public hospital admissions have increased by 24% in 2010 and by 8% in the first half of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010.

Another alarming statistic is the increase in the number of suicides, 17% in 2009 compared to 2007, and unofficial data raise the increase to 25% from 2009 to 2010. Other data from the Greek Ministry of Health talks about an increase of 40% in the first half of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010.

There has also been an increase in the number of HIV infections in late 2010. Recent data suggest that new HIV infections will rise by 52% in 2011 (922 new cases compared to 605 in 2010). Half of these cases is attributable to infection among users of intravenous drugs, although there has been an increase in prostitution and the number of women with HIV. According to the Greek Observatory on Drugs, the prevalence of heroin use has increased by 20% in 2009.

Budget cuts in 2009 and 2010 have resulted in the loss of one third of the programs of care and intervention in the streets across the country. Nonetheless, many hospitals or NGO campaign clinics have increased their work, not just by immigrants but by Greek citizens themselves requiring their services.

The authors conclude, "Overall, the picture of health in Greece is concerning and it reminds us that, in an effort to finance debt, ordinary people are paying the highest price. The loss of access to medical care and prevention programs can increase the risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases and, in worst cases, death. "

The authors call for more attention to health and access to health services so that the "Greek crisis does not undermine the ultimate source of the wealth of the country—its people."