Α) Prevention Issues
Good health depends on many different factors such as heredity, age, standard of living, economic potential and certain environmental factors. The best advice for maintaining good health is prevention.

• Vaccination
• Regular medical checkups
• Avoidance of harmful habits (smoking, alcohol abuse, drugs)
• Information about and prevention of infectious / communicable diseases
• Regular exercise
• Proper diet

Β) The National Health System of Greece (ESY)
Health care in Greece is provided for free mainly through the National Health System (NHS), which includes all the country’s public hospitals and health centers as well as the National Centre for Emergency Assistance (EKAB) to which we turn in an emergency. The health system in Greece is divided into Primary and Secondary level.

The primary system includes the primary health care facilities for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, such as:

• the Health Centers
• the hospital-based outpatient clinics
• the health structures of Insurance Organizations
• the diagnostic centres
• the microbiological laboratories
• the private medical practices

In case of emergency, call the number 166 (from a landline or mobile phone) for the National Centre for Emergency Assistance (EKAB) and an ambulance will arrive at the scene and take the patient to the nearest hospital on duty.

In case of non-emergency care, or in the event that you can go with your own vehicle to the nearest hospital, you may find below a detailed list with the addresses and contact details of the country’s public hospitals.

Note: The country’s hospital-based outpatient clinics, emergency departments and pharmacies do not operate on a 24/7 basis for the patients. For this reason, in the areas which are served by more than one hospital or pharmacy, they operate on emergency duty shifts, so that the citizens can find a hospital or pharmacy in case of emergency outside working hours and at night.

The impact of economic crisis on the Greek health care system is evident. With respect to the cost of health services, at this moment the following shall apply:

For a simple visit to a hospital doctor, the services are free of charge for all. In the event you need examinations and/or hospitalization, the patient (in case he/she is insured) has to pay a percentage (participation) of the total cost and the public organization covers the rest of the amount. The same applies to medicines.

This makes the public health system either completely free or cheaper that any private organization.

Several Civil Society Organizations, such as NGOs and citizens’ initiatives, have been mobilized to meet the needs in primary – and some cases secondary – health care for those who do not have access to the health system, with the organization and operation of Community Clinics and Pharmacies which provide free access to all, without discrimination. You may find below an indicative list of such structures:

Structures providing health services:

No!

The third-country nationals who reside legally in Greece have the same rights of access to health care services with Greek citizens. What differs is not the origin but the insurance status (see below).

➢ Advice! You may contact the legal advisory services to report cases of discrimination against you⁸.

At the moment of writing this guide, a draft law on the safeguarding of the Health booklet of Uninsured Individuals has been submitted for consultation, which will ensure access to health care for people who are not covered by any insurance institution through their work. The Health booklets are expected to be issued by the Citizen Service Centres (KEP) upon submission of relevant documentation.

The following shall apply so far to the different categories of uninsured individuals, depending on their age, their national insurance contributions as long as they worked, their place of residence, their country of origin and their legal status:

In the above list you may find hospitals that specialize in psychiatric disorders. Unlike other medical conditions that require the consent of the patient, in cases of psychiatric incidents the patient may go to the hospital involuntarily (through prosecutor’s and police intervention), since patients often display great resistance. You should bear in mind that the “involuntary psychiatric examination” procedure, as it is called, is highly problematic in both legal and medical terms, and has drawn the attention of independent bodies such as the Greek Ombudsman:

• It violates the principle that no one is deprived of his/her liberty unless has committed a crime
• It violates the principle that no one may be subjected to any medical procedure involuntarily
• It is an extremely traumatic procedure for the patient who undergoes it.

Health issues and particularly mental health issues are assessed in a different way across cultures. In the case of third-country nationals who face psychiatric problems, there are Intercultural Psychiatric Programs which address with sensitivity the issue of cultural difference.

You may find one of these Intercultural Psychiatric Programs in Eginition University Hospital of Athens (see the address below).

Eginition Hospital – Α’ Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Athens
Special Outpatient Intercultural Psychiatric Clinic
72-74 Vas. Sofias Av., Athens – P.C. 11528
To make an appointment – Tel.: 2107249805 (every Tuesday 10.00 - 13.00)
(The Intercultural Clinic does not accept emergencies).

BABEL - Day Care Centre for the Immigrants’ Mental Health
27b Mithimnis St. (Amerikis Sq.) P.C. 11257, Athens
Tel. : 2108616280, 2108616266
Fax :210 86 16 102
e-mail:babel@syn-eirmos.gr

Solidarity Centre at Frourarchio
2 Domokou St. & Filadelfias Av. (old Frourachio building), Larissa Station
Tel.: 2108210552

KETHEA MOSAIC provides information, counselling and psychological support to migrant drug addicts to help them on the path to recovery and social integration. It also covers broader social care needs, providing healthcare services as well as support to drug addicts through networking with services, legal advice, Greek lessons, diagnostic tests, etc. The combination of services on harm reduction, mobilization for treatment, intercultural counselling and education creates a supportive environment which is suitable for the specific needs of immigrants.

ΚΕΘΕΑ MOSAIC
Counselling Program in immigrants detention centers in Athens
Recovery Services for Immigrants
Counselling Centre for Immigrants
28 Magnisias & 2 Zolioti St.
112 51 Athens
Tel. 210 8256944, 210 8257164, 210 8256237
Fax. 210 8257163

The child’s health booklet aims at helping you monitor the growth of your child in a simple and understandable way. It includes extensive information about the child’s physical and emotional development. In consultation with your pediatrician, it will help you notice in time any possible deviations from the normal condition.

The child’s health booklet includes the vaccinations, any diseases from which the child may suffer and other information that will be added by the pediatrician monitoring your child. It is very useful to have it with you when travelling, in case the child needs to receive medical care from a pediatrician who does not know his/her medical history.

You may refer to the lists of hospitals of the National Health System, the Health Centers of the municipalities and health structures (NGOs and others) to find pediatricians who will monitor your children.