Germany’s Health envoy to Greece, in an interview with Deutsche Welle on Thursday, stated that the situation of the Greek healthcare system is disastrous, adding that generic drugs would dramatically cut down healthcare costs.
Wolfgang Zöller, speaking at a briefing of the German Parliament’s Health Committee, described the situation as “scandalous” and “terrifying”.
Zöller, who met with Greek Health Minister Makis Voridis, non-profit organisations and doctors, claimed that most citizens in Greece, including many politicians, are not truly aware of the dramatic situation of the Greek healthcare system.
The German envoy pointed out that Makis Voridis like his predecessor and Prime Minister Antonis Samaras are willing to make things better. However there are difficulties in the implementation of laws and reforms.
He stated that the Greek government has to reduce the cost of pharmaceutical products by introducing generic drugs so that the country can reach the European level in healthcare. The use of generic drugs in Germany amounts to 80% while in Greece is 10%, he noted.
He said that generic drugs are not dangerous as they contain the same substances used in all drugs but they are simply manufactured by different companies. He suggested to the Greek government to launch campaigns informing citizens on the safety of generic drugs and their benefits to the economy.
Finally, the German envoy criticized Greece’s foreign creditors as the deadlines given to the Greek government to complete the reforms in healthcare are often not realistic.
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