3 Jan 2012

Greek doctors, pharmacists on strike again

7:19 am on 3 January 2012

Greek pharmacists and doctors have launched a week of protest against the government's cost-cutting measures.

Most pharmacies are closing for a day in opposition to a state attempt to cut their profit margins from 18% to 15% in order to help sustain Greece's troubled social security funds.

State hospitals are pressuring the government to abandon plans for further wage cuts by only treating emergency cases, AFP reports.

The association of Greek doctors has also called on its members to a join nationwide walkout, barring emergencies, in protest at health sector spending cuts and a disputed organisational overhaul.

Health professionals say they are obliged to sign new contracts with a new state health organisation that began operation on Monday to streamline and improve management of the main social security funds.

However, there is already a backlog of millions of euros in unpaid state bills for medicine, medical supplies and equipment.

The Greek government is trying to limit overspending on social welfare, part of a general austerity drive ordered under pressure from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund after the country nearly went bankrupt in 2010.

Chaotic account-keeping has led to massive waste of state funds for decades. This enabled unscrupulous doctors and pharmacists to write false prescriptions to patients - some of them already dead - and skim off the proceeds.

In 2011, labour ministry officials revealed that millions of euros annually had also been spent on retirement payments to long-dead pensioners.

Last week, the government said health spending overall had skyrocketed to €10.6 billion in 2009 and the goal was to reduce the amount to €7 billion this year.