The quality of health care and health care facilities have dramatically increased in the last ten years as the Greek authorities have provided a substantial investment in improving the healthcare system. The medical training is now of an extremely high standard and there are many bilingual doctors on the islands for you to use.
In general, the standards of hygiene are very high throughout the system. With the government funding now in place they have developed mobile medical units, installed the latest high-tech equipment and improved the accident and emergency facilities.
The islands public health system (IKA) provides free or low cost healthcare for those who contribute to the Greek social security, plus their families. You are not required to register with a doctor and you can choose any doctor, dentist or specialist from the approved IKA list. If you need to see a specialist you do not require a referral from your doctor. If you don't qualify for the public healthcare system, it is essential you have private medical insurance. This is recommended if you can afford this, due to the fact that there can be long waiting lists for specialists and non-urgent operations.
Emergency treatment is free to all nationalities in public hospitals. If you need to go into hospital you must show your EU Health Card or your IKA book. However, if you require an x-ray, there can occasionally be a charge, this is approximately five euros. The medical clinics are open from 8am to noon and will treat minor problems; however any illness after this time will need to be treated at the hospitals in the main towns.
Pensioners who intend to take up residence in the Greek Isles are entitled to free medical treatment. They will need to produce their local IKA office form E121 or EU Health Card and from here will be issued an IKA health book to claim free treatment throughout the sector.
Pharmacists are highly qualified and the majority will speak English. Pharmacies are not usually open in the afternoon or at weekends, but the local press will detail which pharmacies will stay open late from one week to the next. Homeopathic remedies are widespread on the islands and you will find many homeopathic pharmacies within close vicinity of each other.
Greeks are among the world's healthiest people and have one of the highest life expectancies in the EU. The incidence of heart disease is among the lowest in the world and so too is cancer. This really is a wonderfully healthy place to live.