Shortages of essential supplies and medication are forcing Greek hospitals to postpone scheduled treatments, including those for cancer patients, the Athens Medical Association (AMA) reported on Tuesday. It expressed grave concern over the inability of state hospitals to purchase the supplies they needed to operate efficiently and well, noting that both medical staff and patients have reported serious shortages that potentially endangered patients.
Among others, the association cited the recent example of the Laiko Hospital, which was often short of cancer medication and last week had to cancel scheduled treatments for cancer patients.
The head of the AMA George Patoulis noted that postponing treatments can seriously impair their effectiveness and always violates proper scientific procedure, in addition to subjecting a sensitive group such as cancer patients to great hardship, since they often had to travel great distances from rural areas in order to undergo treatments.
“This situation is intolerable and cannot continue,” he noted.
Source: ANA-MPA
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