Hospitals scrounging for cash

Shortages of equipment and staff in the health sector have resulted in two key Athens hospitals, the Alexandra and the Elena Venizelou, borrowing from each other and third parties, according to the Federation of Public Hospital Workers (POEDIN).

"Their budgets are in the red," POEDIN said on Thursday. "They are unable to maintain their infrastructure and their equipment or to procure medicines and medical equipment," it said.

According to POEDIN, hospitals got 1.15 billion euros in state funding this year, down from 1.5 billion last year. They owe 1.3 billion euros in debts to the state.