A study by the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN) has identified significant staffing gaps, even in core medical specialties, at hospitals across the Greek islands, warning that many facilities are operating well below safe levels at a time when visitor numbers are peaking.
Despite efforts by the Ministry of Health, regional health authorities (YPEs), and hospitals, including job postings, ongoing staff transfers, and short-term physician contracts, major healthcare gaps persist in island regions.
According to POEDIN president Michalis Giannakos, speaking to News247, the financial incentives offered are insufficient to meaningfully change the situation. He emphasized that salaries in many island placements are so low that they don’t even cover housing costs, resulting in virtually no interest in permanent medical positions.
The report focuses on a number of islands, including Syros, Naxos, Kos, Santorini, Lemnos, Rhodes, Leros, Kythira, Karpathos, Tinos, Milos, Ios, Amorgos, Lefkada, Kefalonia, and Corfu.
On a more positive note, the study highlights the existence of a well-organized airlift system that transfers patients from the islands to mainland hospitals. However, this comes at a high financial cost.
For yet another summer, healthcare staffing shortages are acute across the islands. The POEDIN report outlines a range of these shortfalls—offering illustrative examples from several islands, though not an exhaustive account of all gaps nationwide.
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