Due to the economic crisis, cancer patients choose to be treated in public hospitals, as they can’t afford the treatment in private health clinics. The waiting list for cancer treatment in state hospitals is long, and in some cases it exceeds even two months.
Waiting time for radiotherapy treatment may be even longer, three or five months, while the situation regarding radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer is even worse.
Due to personnel cuts, hospitals don’t function properly. According to an article published by the Greek newspaper ‘Ethnos,’ if someone tries to book an appointment for blood screening at the ‘G. Gennimatas’ hospital in Athens, he has to wait for about two and a half months. An appointment for a breast examination at the breast cancer clinic of the “Agios Savvas” hospital may entail a one and a half month waiting period.
The situation at the University Hospital of Patras is much worse. Although the oncology department has a waiting period of approximately four days, the radioactive iodine treatment department waiting period ranges from four to six months. A similar situation is observed at the University Hospital of Ioannina, Western Greece, where although the oncology department faces no delays, radiation therapy department patients need to wait from 20 to 30 days.
Waiting lists for cancer patients
Agios Savvas — Breast cancer clinic: 45 days
G. Gennimatas — Hematological clinic: 75 days
Evangelismos — Radioactive iodine: 60 days
Agioi Anargyroi — Radiotherapy: 60 days
Attikon — Radiotherapy: 40-55 days
Metaxa — Iodine therapy, 30 days
Papageorgiou — Radioactive iodine: 50 days
University Hospital of Patras — Radioactive iodine: 180 days
University Hospital of Ioannina — Radiotherapy: 30 days
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