Greece is one of the most popular holiday destinations with UK visitors, partly because it offers such a wide variety of holidays. There are the party destinations of Faliraki or Malia, the history of Crete or the mainland, beautiful beaches on Kos – the list is endless. If you’re headed to Greece on holiday this year, hopefully you’ve already organised EHIC cover for each member of the family. We hope you’re never going to need to access medical care in Greece, but if you do, here’s what you need to know.
State Healthcare in Greece
The first thing to remember is that EHIC never covers you for private medical treatment. Always make it clear to anyone organising for you to see a doctor or go to hospital that you have EHIC and want to be treated as a state patient. Show them the card, and insist. Bear in mind too that depending on where you are, the local state hospital might not be the closest one. The abbreviation to look for which represents the Greek state healthcare system is EOPYY. EOPYY has a website with some information in English which could help you identify services close to where you are.
Are Greek Hospitals Good?
It won’t have escaped your notice that Greece has gone through turbulent economic times in the recent past. These financial worries have meant severe cutbacks in all Greek public services, and healthcare has not escaped. Cuts have meant that waiting lists have grown substantially, with increasing pressure on accident and emergency departments too. Lengthy waits are therefore to be expected. State healthcare in Greece is high quality however, and many doctors and dentists will speak some English. In tourist areas, the local pharmacy is a good source of advice and basic medicines such as sickness medication, painkillers and allergy remedies. Most pharmacists will speak good English and do not charge for their advice.
It’s All Greek To Me
In large tourist areas, medical professionals will be able to speak English but this isn’t always the case in remote areas. Knowing a few words of Greek could make things a lot easier. One of the key phrases is “Milate anglika?” or “Do you speak English?” Other useful words include “yiatros” which means doctor, “asthenoforo” which is ambulance, and “nosokomeio” or hospital. If you need to call the emergency services, 112 will connect you to the operator. If you are struggling to make yourself understood, 171 will put you through to the Tourist Police, who are more likely to be able to speak fluent English and direct you to appropriate medical care.
Charges and Costs
Not all healthcare in Greece is free, and patients are often charged contributions towards their treatment. These should be explained to you up front, and always keep receipts and invoices which you are given. There is also a charge for prescription medicine which is around 25% of the cost of the item. Pharmacists will be able to advise about cost before dispensing any items.