Primary Health Care in Greece - status and prospects

Primary Health Care is the sick man of the Greek health system. Located in a quagmire from which there seem to be no exit for decades. By contrast, in Europe primary care takes an increasingly central role in the system, due to demographic problems and the growing importance of preventive medicine. Because of the tragic shortfall of the primary care sector in Greece, the health system’s compliance with the principles of the European Strategy for Health (universality, equality, social justice, social solidarity) becomes problematic. There are however proposals for improvement of policy and the development of an operating system for primary care, that will serve the needs of the population.